Poultry Performance and Food Safety Impacts of Selected Organic Acids and Probiotics

Improving production parameters and controlling foodborne pathogens have been challenges to the poultry industry. Salmonella has been the most common bacterial pathogen in laboratory confirmed foodborne illness cases, and contaminated poultry and poultry products have been identified as the most important source of transmission of Salmonella to humans. Therefore, research on effective interventions to reduce Salmonella transmission at the poultry production level has gained attention. Initially, a series of studies was conducted to evaluate the use of selected organic acids in controlling foodborne pathogens and improving poultry performance. Then, the characterization and application of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp. based probiotics in poultry, and their combination, along with early nutrition, with glutamine supplementation were evaluated. In the first study, the use of organic acids in vitro and in vivo with broiler chicks (crop and cecal tonsil enumeration) reduced the incidence of Salmonella Typhimurium. In the second study, an organic acid product showed reductions in body weight loss during feed withdrawal and transportation, and meat quality improvement of broilers during commercial conditions. In the third study, organic acid mixtures were used in wash solutions for the reduction of spoilage and foodborne bacteria from chicken skin. The results demonstrated a reduction on pathogenic and spoilage bacteria from chicken skin, suggesting improvement of raw poultry safety properties. The fourth and fifth studies were conducted to identify and characterize probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp., respectively. The evaluations included tolerance and resistance to acidic pH, high osmotic concentration of NaCl and bile salts, in vitro assessment of antimicrobial activity against enteropathogenic bacteria, and susceptibility to antibiotics. The last series of studies was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effects of glutamine supplementation in combination with a lactic acid based probiotic, a Bacillus subtilis probiotic strain, and a commercial nutritional supplement for neonatal broilers and poults, on Salmonella Typhimurium colonization. The results showed increased body weight gain, villus height, villus width, and villus surface area index in chickens treated with neonatal nutrition and/or glutamine, and a reduction in Salmonella incidence and nitric oxide from ileal tissues of treated groups

Methods and compositions including spore-forming bacteria for increasing the health of animals

Describe methods, compositions and bacterial isolates for improving the gastrointestinal health of animals and in particular of poultry are provided herein. The methods include administering an endospore-forming bacteria to an animal. The bacteria are selected for the ability to reduce the growth and presence of bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella, Clostridium, and Campylobacter, in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. The bacteria are also selected for the ability to improve at least one production parameter in the animal

Veias do sistema porta-hepático em gansos domésticos Veins from hepatic portal vein system in domestic geese

A distribuição intraparenquimal das veias porta-hepáticas foi estudada em 30 gansos domésticos. Latex Neoprene corado foi injetado pela veia isquiática e os animais forma fixados por imersão e injeção intramuscular com formol a 10% e dissecados. O fígado esteve composto por um grande lobo hepático direito e por um lobo hepático esquerdo menor, os quais estiveram conectados por uma ponte de parênquima. O lobo direito do fígado teve exclusivamente vasos do sistema porta-hepático formados pela distribuição intraparenquimal da veia porta-hepática direita, enquanto que no lobo esquerdo estes originaram-se da veia porta-hepática direita e de pequenas veias porta-hepáticas esquerdas. A veia porta-hepática direita emitiu o ramo caudal direito, que emitiu um pequeno ramo caudolateral direito e um grande ramo caudomedial direito. Cranialmente esta veia emitiu os ramos craniais direito e ramos lateral direito. A porção transversa da veia porta-hepática direita cruzou para o lobo hepático esquerdo, emitindo de 1 a 6 pequenos ramos craniais e caudais para a região média do fígado. No lobo esquerdo, o ramo esquerdo da veia porta-hepática direita emitiu o ramo cranial esquerdo, o ramo lateral esquerdo e o ramo medial. De 1 a 6 veias porta-hepáticas esquerdas foram identificadas desembocando ou no ramo esquerdo da veia porta-hepática direita ou em sua porção transversa, oriundos do ventrículo gástrico e do pró-ventrículo. Em 40% dos gansos uma veia porta-hepática própria oriunda da confluência de vasos venosos da face esquerda do ventrículo distribuiu-se na extremidade caudal do lobo esquerdo isoladamente.<br>The intraparenchymal distribution of the hepatic portal veins in 30 domestic geese were studied. Stained Neoprene latex was injected into the isquiatic vessels, and the animals were fixed in 10% formaldehyde by immersion and intramuscular injection. The liver of geese was composed of a large right and a smaller left hepatic lobe, connected by a parenchyma bridge. The right hepatic lobe had vessels exclusively from the hepatic portal system composed by intraparenchymal distribution of the right hepatic portal vein, while the vessels of the left hepatic lobe came from the right hepatic portal vein and from small left hepatic portal veins. The right hepatic portal vein emitted the right caudal branch, which emitted a small right caudolateral branch and a large right caudomedial branch. Cranially this vein emitted right cranial and right lateral branches. The tranverse portion of the right hepatic portal vein crossed to the left hepatic lobe, emitting 1 to 6 small cranial and caudal branches to the medial area of the liver. In the left hepatic lobe, the left branch from the right hepatic vein emitted the left cranial, left lateral and left median branches. One to six left hepatic portal veins were identified arising from the left branch or from the transverse portion of the right hepatic portal vein. These vessels arose from the gizzard and pro-ventricle. In 40% of geese one proper hepatic portal vein originated from venous vessels of the gizzard and was distributed into the caudal extremity of the left hepatic isolated lobe

Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 Supplementation Attenuates the Effects of Clostridium perfringens Challenge on the Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota of Broiler Chickens

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 (probiotic) on the performance and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens infected with Clostridium perfringens (CP). One-day-old broiler chickens were assigned to 3 treatments with 8 replicate pens (50 birds/pen). The treatments were: non-infected control; infected control; and infected supplemented with probiotic (1 &times; 106 CFU/g of feed). On day of hatch, all birds were sprayed with a coccidia vaccine based on the manufacturer recommended dosage. On d 18&ndash;20 the infected birds were inoculated with CP via feed. Necrotic enteritis (NE) lesion score was performed on d 21. Digestive tract of 2 birds/pen was collected on d 21 to analyze the ileal and cecal microbiota by 16S rRNA sequencing. Performance was evaluated on d 28 and 42. On d 21, probiotic supplementation reduced (p &lt; 0.001) the severity of NE related lesion versus infected control birds. On d 28, feed efficiency was improved (p &lt; 0.001) in birds supplemented with probiotic versus infected control birds. On d 42, body weight gain (BW gain) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were improved (p &lt; 0.001) in probiotic supplemented birds versus infected control birds. The diversity, composition and predictive function of the intestinal microbial digesta changed with the infection but the supplementation of probiotic reduced these variations. Therefore, dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 was beneficial in attenuating the negative effects of CP challenge on the performance and intestinal microbiota of broilers chickens

Isolation, screening and identification of Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbial candidates for aflatoxin B1 biodegradation

Objective: To evaluate the ability of Bacillus spp. as direct-fed microbials (DFM) to biodegrade aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by using an in vitro digestive model simulating in vivo conditions. Methods: Sixty-nine Bacillus isolates were obtained from intestines, and soil samples were screened by using a selective media method against 0.25 and 1.00 μg/mL of AFB1 in modified Czapek-Dox medium. Plates were incubated at 37 °C and observed every two days for two weeks. Physiological properties of the three Bacillus spp. candidates were characterized biochemically and by 16S rRNA sequence analyzes for identification. Tolerance to acidic pH, osmotic concentrations of NaCl, bile salts were tested, and antimicrobial sensitivity profiles were also determined. Bacillus candidates were individually sporulated by using a solid fermentation method and combined. Spores were incorporated into 1 of 3 experimental feed groups: 1) Negative control group, with unmedicated starter broiler feed without AFB1; 2) Positive control group, with negative control feed contaminated with 0.01% AFB1; 3) DFM treated group, with positive control feed supplemented with 109 spores/g. After digestion time (3:15 h), supernatants and digesta were collected for high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection analysis by triplicate. Results: Three out of those sixty-nine DFM candidates showed ability to biodegrade AFB1 in vitro based on growth as well as reduction of fluorescence and area of clearance around each colony in modified Czapek-Dox medium which was clearly visible under day light after 48 h of evaluation. Analysis of 16S-DNA identified the strains as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis. The three Bacillus strains were tolerant to acidic conditions (pH 2.0), tolerant to a high osmotic pressure (NaCl at 6.5%), and were able to tolerate 0.037% bile salts after 24 h of incubation. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the concentrations of AFB1 in neither the supernatants nor digesta samples evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection between positive control or DFM treated groups. Conclusions: In vitro digestion time was not enough to confirm biodegradation of AFB1. Further studies to evaluate the possible biodegradation effects of the Bacillus-DFM when continuously administered in experimentally contaminated feed with AFB1, are in progress

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http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2008v21n2p91Estudou-se a morfologia da traquéia de gansos domésticos, caracterizando seus aspectos macroscópicos e morfométricos. Para tanto, foram utilizados 31 gansos domésticos adultos, machos e fêmeas, oriundos de criadouros comerciais, os quais foram eutanasiados por meio de inalação de clorofórmio, seguindo-se fixação em solução aquosa de formol a 10%. A traquéia foi dissecada desde seu início, caudalmente à laringe, até sua bifurcação já na cavidade celomática. Os resultados mostraram que a traquéia dos gansos é composta por 144±12 anéis cartilagíneos completos, e em média possui 33±2,7 cm de comprimento. A luz da traquéia apresenta-se ovalada, com um ligeiro achatamento dorso-ventral, tornando-se cilíndrica caudalmente a partir do seu terço médio. Os valores morfométricos obtidos para machos e fêmeas adultos não mostraram diferenças estatísticas signifi cativas (p&lt;0,05), sugerindo que não há dimorfismo sexual evidente para as características analisadas.Morphologic and morphometric aspects of the domestic geese trachea. The tracheal morphology of 31 domestic geese was studied in order to charac- terize the morphometric and macroscopic aspects. Domestic geese, adult, male and female, from regular breeders, were utilized. The animals were euthanized by chloroform inhalation and fi xed in 10% formaldehyde in aqueous solution. The trachea was dissected, beginning caudal at the larynx, up to its bifurcation inside the coelomatic cavity. The results demonstrated that the goose trachea is formed by 144 ± 12 complete tracheal rings and that has a total length of 33 ± 2.7cm on average. The trachea lumen is ovulated, fl attened dorso-ventrally, and cylindrical in the middle part. The morphometric data from goose tracheas in males and females did not differ statistically (P &lt; 0.05), suggesting that with regard to these characteristics there is no sexual dimorphism in this species

Morphologic and morphometric aspects of the domestic geese trachea

The tracheal morphology of 31 domestic geese was studied in order to characterize the morphometric and macroscopic aspects. Domestic geese, adult, male and female, from regular breeders, were utilized. The animals were euthanized by chloroform inhalation and fixed in 10% formaldehyde in aqueous solution. The trachea was dissected, beginning caudal at the larynx, up to its bifurcation inside the coelomatic cavity. The results demonstrated that the goose trachea is formed by 144 ± 12 complete tracheal rings and that has a total length of 33 ± 2.7cm on average. The trachea lumen is ovulated, flattened dorso-ventrally, and cylindrical in the middle part. The morphometric data from goose tracheas in males and females did not differ statistically (P < 0.05), suggesting that with regard to these characteristics there is no sexual dimorphism in this species

The effect of a Lactobacillus-based probiotic for the control of necrotic enteritis in broilers

Necrotic Enteritis (NE) caused by Clostridium perfringens (CP) in poultry is probably the most important bacterial disease in terms of economic implications. The disease is multi-factorial and is invariably associated with predisposing factors. The present study investigated the effect of a commercially available Lactobacillus-based probiotic (FM-B11) for the control of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, one-day-of-hatch broiler chicks were randomly allocated to the following treatment groups: 1) Non-challenged (NC); 2) Challenged (C); 3) Challenged + probiotic (C+ FM-B11). Prior to placement, chicks in groups 2 and 3 received 0.25 mL of Salmonella typhimurium (ST) containing 105 cfu of viable cells by oral gavage. At 14, 15 and 16 days of age, all chicks in group 3 were treated with FM-B11 in the drinking water at a concentration of 106 cfu/ml. At 21d of age, all chicks in groups 2 and 3, were individually challenged with 5 × 104 sporulated oocysts of E. maxima by oral gavage. At 26d of age, all chicks in groups 2 and 3, were individually challenged with 108 cfu CP; body weight (BW) was recorded prior to challenge. The experiment was terminated at 29 days of age and the following parameters were evaluated: NE-associated mortality, CP lesion scores, CP concentrations in ileum, BW, and body weight gain (BWG). Chicks treated with FM-B11 had significantly (P 0.05) difference in lesion score between C and C + FM-B11, group C + FM-B11 had significantly (P < 0.05) lower total number of cfu of CP recovered from the ileal mucosa and content samples when compared to group C. Experiment 2 was a unique and remarkable case report of a field outbreak of NE in a commercial broiler farm in Argentina. A reduction and control of the mortality associated with NE following 3 days of administration of FM-B11 was observed as compared with the control non treated house. These results imply that the commercially available Lactobacillus-based probiotic FM-B11 was able to reduce the severities of NE, as a secondary bacterial infection, in an experimental NE challenge model; as well as, in a commercial field outbreak of NE