In vitro simulation of the gastrointestinal tract environment and its interaction with probiotic lactobacilli

The harshest conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract were simulated in order to study probiotic bacteria in their intended environment. Eight Lactobacillus strains were cultivated in MRS broth with added bile in different concentrations and their growth was monitored as optical density. The gathered data was used to determine the MIC of bile for each strain. The recovery of the strains in MRS broth after 3 h in simulated gastric juice solution (pH 1.8, 5000 U/cm3 pepsin) was investigated. Lactobacillus gasseri S20 exhibited the best survival rate and reached OD 600 0,490, while Lactobacillus acidophilus S11 could not survive the conditions of the stomach (OD 600 0,076)

Study on the effect of sublethal concentrations of antimicrobials on the growth and development of probiotic lactobacilli

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sublethal concentrations of 5 antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin G, lincomycin, ciprofloxacin) and 2 preservatives (benzoic and sorbic acid) on the growth and development of 8 probiotic Lactobacillus strains. All lactobacilli were subjected to a large range of concentrations, growth curves were plotted and MICs were determined for each antimicrobial. The results showed correlation between the sublethal concentrations and the growth rate of the studied microorganisms. Based on the obtained data two groups of strains could be defined – sensitive and relatively resistant. The first group includes L. bulgaricus S2. L. bulgaricus S4. L. bulgaricus S19 and L. gasseri S20. The most resistant of this group was L. gasseri S20. The second group showed more sensitivity and the most affected by the antimicrobials was L. bulgaricus S28

Resumption of Cyclic Ovarian Activity by Herbal Preparation AyuFertin in Bulgarian Murrah Buffaloes at Early Postpartum

This study evaluates the phytochemical composition and ability of herbal preparation AyuFertin, supplemented shortly after calving, to resume the cyclic ovarian activity in postpartum Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes. In total, 13 healthy Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes at the age of 4–10 years, calved in March–April 2019 were involved in the experiment. Seven experimental buffaloes were treated individually per os with AyuFertin according to producer instruction. All animals were subjected to regular ultrasound examination of ovaries. GC-MS analysis of fatty acids composition and HPLC-DAD analysis of carotenoid and tocopherol content in AyuFertin were conducted. The determination of estrus occurrence and natural mating were done by a fertile bull. The development of the large follicles (12.5–14.3 mm) in 85.7% of treated animals was observed on day 24 postpartum compared to 0% in controls. Clinical signs of estrus were recorded in 71.4% of the animals, followed by an 80% pregnancy rate versus 16% in controls within 70 days after calving. In conclusion, the supplementation of the bioactive herbal product AyuFertin from day 21 postpartum can stimulate the follicular growth in the buffalo’s ovary, which leads to the development of follicles with ovulatory capacity, followed by successful ovulation. The above-mentioned treatment resulted in a better pregnancy rate in the treated multiparous compared to the control buffaloes bred by natural service