Enterocin M and its Beneficial Effects in Horses—a Pilot Experiment

Abstract

Probiotic bacteria or their antimicrobial proteinaceous substances called bacteriocins (enterocins) hold promising prophylactic potential for animal breeding. This study present the results achieved after application of Enterocin M in horses. Enterocin M has never been applied to horses before. Clinically healthy horses (10) were involved in this pilot experiment. They were placed in the stables of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovakia, with the approval of the University Ethics Committee. The animals were fed twice a day with hay and oats, or alternatively grazed with access to water ad libitum. The experiment lasted 6 weeks. Sampling was performed at the start of the experiment, at day 0-1, at day 21 (3 weeks of Enterocin M application), and at day 42 (3 weeks of cessation). Feces were sampled directly from the rectum and blood from the vena jugularis; the samples were immediately treated and/or stored for analyses. Each horse itself represented a control animal (compared to its status at the start of the experiment, day 0-1). After initial sampling, the horses were administered 100 μl of Ent M (precipitate, 12,800 AU/ml) in a small feed bolus to ensure it was consumed; Ent M was applied for 3 weeks (21 days). Fecal samples were treated using the standard microbial dilution method; phagocytic activity was assessed with standard and flow cytometry; biochemistry and metabolic profiles were tested using commercial kits and standard methods. Administration of Ent M led to mathematical reduction of coliforms, campylobacters (P < 0.05), and significant reduction of Clostridium spp. (P < 0.001, P< 0.001); increase of PA values was noted (P < 0.05, P < 0.0001); no negative influence on hydrolytic enzyme profile or biochemical blood parameters was noted.

Susceptibility to Bacteriocins in Biofilm-Forming, Variable Staphylococci Isolated from Local Slovak Ewes’ Milk Lump Cheeses

“…The enterocins used in this study are classified as thermo-stable, small peptides with broad antimicrobial effect (involving Gram-negative bacteria) belonging in enterocins classification group II [ 8 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], which act as pore-forming substances in the cell membrane. Their inhibition activity was reported previously under both in vitro as well as in vivo conditions [ 14 ]. In horses, administration of ent M led to mathematical reduction of coliforms, campylobacters ( p < 0.05), and significant reduction of Clostridium spp.…”

“…Four enterocins (10 µL from each) characterized in our laboratory were used: enterocin M produced by Enterococcus faecium AL41 (CCM 8558), enterocin A/P produced by Enterococcus faecium EK13 = CCM7419, both of environmental origin [ 21 , 22 ], Ent 412 produced by Enterococcus faecium EF412, horse strain [ 23 ] and durancin ED26E/7 produced by food origin strain Enterococcus durans ED26E/7 [ 24 ]. Partially purified enterocins (precipitates) were used as previously reported [ 13 , 14 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Nisin and gallidermin used were commercial pure substances.…”

“…A special group among them consists of enterocins produced mostly by enterococci [ 8 , 9 ] and also lantibiotic bacteriocins such as nisin and gallidermin [ 10 ]. While enterocins are known to inhibit Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria under in vitro and in vivo conditions [ 11 , 12 ], nisin and gallidermin act mostly against Gram-positive bacteria [ 10 ], although under in vivo conditions their inhibition effect against Gram-negative species has also been reported [ 13 , 14 ]. To know occurrence of microbiota which can influence character and consumption of products is beneficial for both consumers and producers.…”

Antibacterial Activity of Bacteriocinogenic Commensal Escherichia coli against Zoonotic Strains Resistant and Sensitive to Antibiotics

“…Studies on the activity of bacteriocins, as an alternative to adjunctive therapy with antibiotics, and trials focused on probiotic bacteria are intensively conducted [31][32][33][34]. They concern mostly the bacteriocins of Gram-positive bacteria [35][36][37][38][39], but colicins and microcins are also tested as proteins with activity against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50], including a few studies related to antibiotic-resistant strains [51,52]. However, nonclinical strains of animal origin, derived from farm animals that are particularly resistant to antibiotics, may reveal a distinct profile of sensitivity to bacteriocins.…”

Optimal Criteria for the Selection of Probiotics, Based on their Mode of Action

“…The definition was in 2013 maintained by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). The term "probiotic' is reserved for formulas/products that keep some strictly de- [35,36,39,56,57,58,61]. The antimicrobial effect was evaluated in the pilot experiment with the application of enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium CCM8558 to infected chickens with Campylobacter jejuni CCM6191, while a significant increase in phagocytic activity was also noted in experimentally infected groups treated with the probiotic strain mentioned above [34].…”