Replacement of Metaphylactic Antimicrobial Therapy by Oral Administration of Ligilactobacillus salivarius MP100 in a Pig Farm

Abstract

Antibiotic use in swine production contributes to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, which poses a threat on human health. Therefore, alternative approaches must be developed. The objective of this work was the characterization of the probiotic properties of a Ligilactobacillus salivarius strain isolated from sow's milk and its application as an inoculated fermented feed to pregnant sows and piglets. The study was carried in a farm in which metaphylactic use of antimicrobials (including zinc oxide) was eliminated at the time of starting the probiotic intervention, which lasted for 2 years. Feces from 8-week-old piglets were collected before and after the treatment and microbiological and biochemical analyses were performed. The procedure led to an increase in the concentrations of clostridia and lactobacilli-related bacteria. Parallel, an increase in the concentration of butyrate, propionate and acetate was observed and a notable reduction in the presence of antibiotic resistant lactobacilli became apparent. In conclusion, replacement of antimicrobials by a microbiota-friendly approach was feasible and led to positive microbiological and biochemical changes in the enteric environment.

Impact of zinc oxide, benzoic acid and probiotics on the performance and cecal microbiota of piglets

“…Bacillus and Enterococcus are among the most used probiotics because of their potential to depleat pathogenens from the digestive tract and benefit commensal bacteria, controlling for diarrhea and improving performance [ 21 , 39 , 40 ]. The use of a specific strain of Ligilactobacillus salivarius was associated with increased clostridia and lactobacilli species as well as greater production of volatile fatty acids [ 19 ]. The use of symbiotics (a combination of probiotics with prebiotics) have also been shown to benefit fibrolytic bacteria, improving performancing and reducing inflammation in pigls [ 18 ].…”

“…Therefore, microbiota manipulation has been attempted with the objective of improving health [ 16 ]. Amongst the different strategies to modulate the intestinal microbiota, the use of probiotics is a viable option to be used in swine production [ 17 – 19 ].…”

Immunomodulation Potential of Probiotics: A Novel Strategy for Improving Livestock Health, Immunity, and Productivity

“…They used Ligilactobacillus salivarius strain retrieved from sow's milk and fed it to pregnant sows and piglets. The results suggested that there was a notable reduction in the presence of antibiotic-resistant Lactobacillus, which became apparent in the treatment group [94]. In recent studies, it was suggested that Prevotella exerted positive consequences in pig production by enhancing growth performance and immune response [95][96][97][98].…”

“…In addition, multi-species probiotics were helpful in enhancing growth performance through a reduction in intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and morphological damages. Sobrino et al (2021) attempted to study AM substitutes in pig production. They used Ligilactobacillus salivarius strain retrieved from sow's milk and fed it to pregnant sows and piglets.…”

Probiotics and Postbiotics as Substitutes of Antibiotics in Farm Animals: A Review

“…MP100 showed antagonistic activity against the indicator bacteria: C. perfringens MP34, E. faecalis MP42, S. aureus MP83, Streptococcus suis MP205, Trueperella pyogenes MP214, E. coli MP73 (F4) and MP77 (F18), S. Typhimurium MP55, and Klebsiella pneumoniae MP87. The use of a potential probiotic resulted in a microbiological and biochemical improvement in the gut environment [ 71 ].…”