Performance and Intestinal Coliform Counts in Weaned Piglets Fed a Probiotic Culture (Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei CECT 4043) or an Antibiotic

Abstract

The production of biomass and antibacterial extracellular products by Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei CECT 4043 was followed in both batch and in realkalized fed-batch cultures. Enhanced concentrations of biomass and antibacterial extracellular products were obtained with the use of the latter fermentation technique in comparison with the batch mode. The culture obtained by fed-batch fermentation was mixed with skim milk and used to prepare a probiotic feed for weaned piglets. To test the effect of the potentially probiotic culture of L. casei on body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, and on fecal coliform counts of piglets, two groups of animals received either feed supplemented with the probiotic preparation or avilamycin for 28 days. The control group was fed nonsupplemented feed. At the end of the administration period (day 28), the groups receiving probiotic and avilamycin exhibited the highest average body weight gain values, although the mean feed intake and feed conversion efficiency values were not different among the groups (P > 0.05). For the entire experimental period (42 days), the control group exhibited the lowest feed intake value, the probiotic group exhibited the highest feed conversion efficiency value, and the antibiotic group exhibited the highest body weight gain (P < 0.05). Interestingly, no significant difference in body weight gain was observed between the probiotic and the control groups by day 42 (P > 0.05). Fecal coliform values decreased (although not significantly) by day 28 in the three groups. However, the mean counts returned to pretreatment levels by day 42 in all groups.

The Increase of Lactobacillus Species in the Gut Flora of Newborn Broiler Chicks and Ducks Is Associated with Weight Gain

“…In other studies, treatment with Lactobacillus sp. had the same growth-promoting effects as treatment with avilamycin [19], [20] and even better growth-promoting effects than chloroxytetracycline [18] or oxytetracycline [21].…”

Efforts to slacken antibiotic resistance: Labeling meat products from animals raised without antibiotics in the United States

“…Washington, DC, 1-62. Wu, G., Day, M.J., Mafura, M.T., Nunez-Garcia, J., Fenner, J.J., Sharma, M., van Essen-Zandbergen, A., Rodríguez, I., Dierikx, C., Kadlec, K., Schink, A.K., Wain, J., Helmuth, R., Guerra, B., Schwarz, S., Threlfall, J., Woodward, M.J., Woodford, N., Coldham, N., Mevius, D., 2013 Use of probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics Bernárdez et al, 2008;Cervantes, 2016 Veterinarians Educational efforts with producers Jones et al, 2015;Kuipers et al, 2016 Refraining from prescribing third-and fourthgeneration drugs Kuipers et al, 2016;Melvius and Heederik, 2014 Sufficient knowledge of clients' situations to prescribe minimal drug usage needed for therapy Kuipers et al, 2016 Governments and non-governmental organizations Educational efforts with producers Jones et al, 2015 Product labeling USDA, 2016a…”

A Review on Some Chemical Engineering and Microbiological Aspects Considered in the Production of Highly Concentrated Probiotic Cultures and Bacteriocins by Lactococci and Lactobacilli

“…Probiotics are viable microorganisms that, once ingested in sufficient amounts, exert health-promoting effects in humans and animals by assisting in the establishment of an intestinal population which is beneficial to the host entity and antagonistic to harmful bacteria [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Thus, since the extensive use of antimicrobials (e.g., antibiotics and silver sulphadiazine) could produce adverse reactions and side effects [7,8], the interest has been focussed on the use of probiotics for preventing or treating different human diseases [1,4] and for improving the performance parameters of farm animals. These probiotics can play an important role in immunological, digestive, and respiratory functions in humans [9] and can improve the body weight gain and feed conversion in farm animals [2,3].…”

“…The most commonly used probiotics are some strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the bacterium Bacillus subtilis [3,4]. These strains have been used in combination or not with other bacteria to formulate different nutritional supplements, which are commercialized by some companies and suppliers (Table 1).…”