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Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the administration of mushroom extract on bifidobacteria and Salmonella populations in broiler chicken feces. In the first experiment, a total of 100 female broiler chicks were assigned to 1 of the following treatment conditions, with 20 chicks per treatment: 1) control (no additive), 2) mushroom extract, 3) vinegar via water, 4) mushroom substrate extract, or 5) milk + water. In experiment 2, a total of 120 female broiler chicks were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups, with 30 chicks per treatment: 1) control (no additive), 2) experimental human bifido-strain, 3) mushroom extract, or 4) PrimaLac (probiotic). Fecal samples were collected from 5 pastured birds per treatment on d 49. Results of experiment 1 showed that broilers receiving the mushroom extract had a significant increase in the population of bifidobacteria in the fecal samples and no significant reduction in Salmonella fecal populations. Results of the second experiment showed that significantly higher bifidobacteria and lower Salmonella populations were observed after mushroom extract was withdrawn at d 21 from pastured broilers evaluated at d 49. Overall, continual administration of mushroom extract to broiler chickens enhanced fecal shedding of bifidobacteria and early intermittent administration of the extract decreased Salmonella populations.

Numerous in vitro studies using solvent or aqueous extracts of raw dietary plant material have demonstrated modulation of colon cancer cell growth and apoptosis and effects on immune and nonimmune pathways of inflammation. We have developed a generic, 3-staged food-compatible process involving heating for conversion of dietary plants into food ingredients and report results on potential colon cancer-regulating properties of processed forms of Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis). In vitro studies demonstrated inhibition of cancer cell growth by processed Bay leaf products in HT-29, HCT-116, Caco-2, and SW-480 human cancer cell lines, which were accompanied by variable levels of elevated apoptosis. Bay leaf also exerted moderate inhibition of cycloxygenase 2 and 5 lipoxygenase enzymatic activity. In addition, these extracts significantly downregulated interferon-γ production in T helper Type 1-stimulated whole blood from healthy donors. Furthermore, size fractionation of the extracts revealed that antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities were associated with low mass (primarily polyphenolics and essential oils) and high mass (primarily proteins including polyphenol oxidase) chemical classes, respectively. Bay leaf exerted in vitro bioactivity that might be relevant to protecting against early events in sporadic colorectal cancer, with potential for further optimization of bioactivity by size-based fractionation.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of mushroom and pokeweed extract alone or in combination with alfalfa meal on Salmonella spp. population, egg production, and weight loss in laying hens during a 10-d molting period. The trial used 54 active laying hens approximately 77 wk of age that were naturally infected with Salmonella spp. The layers were subjected to 1 of 9 treatment groups, replicated 3 times with 2 hens per replicate cage. The treatment conditions were as follows: 1) full-fed + H(2)0 (FFW), 2) full-fed + mushroom (FFM), 3) full-fed + pokeweed (FFP), 4) nonfed + H(2)0 (NFW), 5) nonfed + mushroom (NFM), 6) nonfed + pokeweed (NFP), 7) full-fed alfalfa meal + H(2)0 (FFAW), 8) full-fed alfalfa meal + mushroom (FFAM), and 9) full-fed alfalfa meal + poke-weed (FFAP). The results showed that the base-10 logarithm values of Salmonella from the ceca significantly increased (P

The Probelia™Salmonella sp. PCR amplification and detection kits (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur, Marnes La Coquette, France) were evaluated for the rapid and specific detection of Salmonella agona artificially inoculated into skim milk powder and ricotta cheese. The Probelia™ results were compared with those obtained using the Australian Standard Method. Using a pure culture of Salm. agona, the detection limit of Probelia™ was between 8 and 79 cfu ml−1, equivalent to 0·2–2 cfu per PCR reaction. Detection of Salm. agona inoculated in skim milk powder (at 5–10 cfu g−1, stored at 5, 15 or 25 °C) and ricotta cheese (at 1–2, 10–20 and 100–200 cfu per 25 g) was effected by using non‐selective enrichment prior to the PCR determinations. For all of the 40 milk powder samples and 12 ricotta cheese samples, the Probelia™ results were consistent with those using the Australian Standard Method. Using Probelia™, Salmonella was detected to genus level in the dairy products within 24–28 h, whereas the cultural technique required 3–4 d for presumptive positive isolates and further time for confirmation.