Field evaluation of the effect of a probiotic-containing Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis spores on the health status, performance, and carcass quality of grower and finisher pigs

Differential growth enhancement followed by notable microbiota modulation in growing-finishing pigs by Bacillus subtilis strains ps4060, ps4100, and a 50:50 strain mixture

A 50:50 blend of two Bacillus subtilis strains positively impacted the productivity of finishing pigs. Given this observed effect, we hypothesized that each strain has distinct effects on weight gain and their influence on gut microbiota. In a 16-week test, 160 pigs were divided into four groups: basal diet, B. subtilis ps4100, B. subtilis ps4060, and 50:50 mixture supplemented. Subsequently, we compared body weight and fecal microbiota. Among the supplements, ps4100, ps4060, and the 50:50 mix yielded respective average daily weight gains (ADG) of 3.6%, 4.6%, and 3.9% by the 6th week. The weight difference was maintained through the 16th week. At the 11th week, the difference in α-diversity among the fecal microbiota was marginal, and 17 of 229 genera showed differential abundance between the control and either of the treatment groups. A total of 12 of the 17 genera, including Lactobacillus, showed differential abundance between the ps4100 and ps4060-fed groups, and only Eubacterium consistently decreased in abundance in both the ps4100 and ps4060 groups. In comparison, microbial diversity was significantly different at the 16th week (p < 0.05), with 96 out of 229 genera exhibiting differential abundance. A total of 42 of the 96 genera exhibited similar patterns in both the ps4100 and ps4060 groups compared to the control group. Additionally, 236 of 687 microbial enzymes with differential abundance deduced from 16S rRNA reads showed similar differential abundance in both groups compared to the control group. We concluded that the overall microbial balance, rather than the dominance or significant decrease of a few specific genera, likely caused the enhanced ADG until the 11th week. Substantial changes in microbiota manifested at the 16th week did not cause dramatically increased ADG but were a consequence of weight gain and could positively affect animal physiology and health afterward.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis supplementation on reproductive parameters during late gestation in multiparous sows

Background and Aim

Probiotics are used at different stages of gestation to promote reproductive performance in sows. This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 supplementation during late gestation in multiparous sows on different reproductive parameters.

Materials and Methods

On day 85 of gestation, 115 multiparous healthy Landrace Yorkshire sows were randomly assigned to two groups with equal parity numbers. The control group (58 sows) was fed with basal diets, and the probiotic group (57 sows) was fed with basal diets +1010 colony-forming unit (CFU) B. subtilis QST 713 from day 85 to parturition. Back fat thickness on days 85 and 110, number of total born, number of born alive, stillbirth and mummy rates, individual birth weight, litter birth weight, within-litter variation of piglet birth weight, and postpartum vaginal discharge duration were recorded and compared between the two groups.

Results

The number of total born, number born alive, back fat thickness of sows before farrowing, litter weight, within-litter variation of piglet birth weight, and postpartum vaginal discharge duration were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). Dietary supplementation with B. subtilis QST 713 decreased the stillbirth rate (3.96 vs. 6.39%, p = 0.046) and born dead rate (5.12 vs. 8.57%, p = 0.035) and increased the birth weight of piglets (1552.78 vs. 1506.15 g, p = 0.049).

Conclusion

Daily supplementation with 1010 CFU of B. subtilis QST 713 during late gestation in multiparous sows could increase reproductive performance by increasing birth weight and decreasing stillbirth rate.

The Effects of Microbial Additive Supplementation on Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, Fecal Microflora, and Carcass Characteristics of Growing-Finishing Pigs

This study aimed to assess the effects of microbial additives that produce antimicrobial and digestive enzymes on the growth performance, blood metabolites, fecal microflora, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 180 growing-finishing pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; mixed sex; 14 weeks of age; 58.0 ± 1.00 kg) were then assigned to one of three groups with three repetitions (20 pigs) per treatment for 60 days of adaptation and 7 days of collection. Dietary treatments included 0, 0.5, and 1.0% microbial additives in the basal diet. For growth performance, no significant differences in the initial and final weights were observed among the dietary microbial additive treatments, except for the average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed efficiency. In terms of blood metabolites and fecal microflora, immunoglobulin G (IgG), blood urea nitrogen, blood glucose, and fecal lactic acid bacteria count increased linearly, and fecal E. coli counts decreased linearly with increasing levels of microbial additives but not growth hormones and Salmonella. Carcass quality grade was improved by the microbial additive. In addition, carcass characteristics were not influenced by dietary microbial additives. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 1.0% microbial additive improved average daily gain, feed efficiency, IgG content, and fecal microflora in growing-finishing pigs.

Bacillus-supplemented diet improves growth performance in Jeju native pigs by modulating myogenesis and adipogenesis

Probiotics are used in pigs as nutritional supplements to improve health and induce the development of muscle and adipose tissue for enhancing growth performance and harvesting quality meat. In this study, we investigated the effects of Bacillus-based probiotic supplementation on the physiological and biochemical changes in Jeju native pigs (JNPs), including growth performance, backfat layers, blood parameters, serum IgG levels, myogenic and adipogenic markers, and expression of inflammatory markers. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were higher in the Bacillus diet group than in the basal diet group, while backfat thickness was lower in the Bacillus diet group than in the basal diet group. Blood biochemical parameters and hematological profiles were not altered significantly by Bacillus-based probiotic supplementation. Serum IgG concentration increased in the Bacillus diet group compared to the basal diet group. The Bacillus diet group showed increased adipogenic and myogenic markers expression in the longissimus dorsi muscle and adipose tissues. Overall, the data suggest that the Bacillus-based probiotics-supplemented diet regulates myogenesis and adipogenesis in JNPs and improves growth performance. We postulate that this may be due to the changes in the gut microbiota of pigs due to probiotic supplementation.

The Effect of a Bacillus-Based Probiotic on Sow and Piglet Performance in Two Production Cycles

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of Bacillus-based probiotic diets on reproduction performance, fecal scores, microflora, and economic factors in lactating sows and suckling piglets across two productive cycles. A total of 96 sows, reared in a continuous farrowing system for two full cycles, were divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. Sows were fed a basal diet without the probiotic or a diet supplemented with viable bacterial spores. At seven days of age, control group piglets were offered standard creep feed, whereas piglets in the experimental (probiotic) group received a diet containing the probiotic fed to their dams. Sows receiving probiotic-supplemented diets were characterized by significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) average daily feed intake in lactation, lower (p ≤ 0.01) body weight (BW) loss during lactation, and reduced loss of backfat thickness as well as higher body condition score after lactation. Dietary probiotic supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.01) birth weight, total creep feed consumption, litter weight gain, and piglet weaning weight. The probiotic also improved (p ≤ 0.01) overall fecal scores, decreased total E. coli count on day seven and Clostridium perfringens count (trend) in sucking piglets. The total feed cost per weaned piglet was lower in the experimental (probiotic) group. Supplementing the diet with a probiotic containing Bacillus strains improved the reproductive performance of sows and the performance and health of piglets.

Effect of a Bacillus-Based Probiotic on Performance and Nutrient Digestibility When Substituting Soybean Meal with Rapeseed Meal in Grower-Finisher Diets

The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis supplementation to a negative control diet in comparison to a standard control diet, had the potential to improve the performance and nutrient digestibility of growing-finishing pigs. For this purpose, 384 fattening pigs of 85 d of age were allotted to three treatments: a standard diet, a negative control (NC) diet (5% soybean meal replaced by 5% rapeseed meal), or a NC diet + probiotic. After reaching a body weight of approximately 110 kg, all animals going to the slaughterhouse (87% of total pigs) were selected to measure carcass quality. Moreover, the apparent total tract digestibility of protein was evaluated at the end of the grower period. The results of this study indicate that supplementation of the tested Bacillus-based probiotic significantly improved average daily gain (ADG, +14.6%) and Feed:gain ratio (F:G, -9.9%) during the grower phase compared to the NC diet. The improvement observed during the grower phase was maintained for the whole fattening period (ADG, +3.9%). Probiotic supplementation significantly improved the total apparent faecal digestibility of dry matter and crude protein in pigs at the end of the grower period. The improvements observed with the additive tested could indicate that supplementation of the Bacillus-based probiotic was able to counteract the lower level of crude protein and standardised ileal digestible amino acids in the NC diet by means of improved protein digestibility.

Research Progress of Biological Feed in Beef Cattle

Biological feed is a feed product developed through bioengineering technologies such as fermentation engineering, enzyme engineering, protein engineering, and genetic engineering. It possesses functional characteristics of high nutritional value and good palatability that can improve feed utilization, replace antibiotics, enhance the health level of livestock and poultry, improve the quality of livestock products, and promote a better breeding environment. A comprehensive review is provided on the types of biological feed, their mechanism of action, fermenting strains, fermenting raw material resources, and their current status in animal production to facilitate in-depth research and development of applications.

The Probiotic Bacillus subtilis MB40 Improves Immunity in a Porcine Model of Listeriosis

Probiotics for humans and direct-fed microbials for livestock are increasingly popular dietary ingredients for supporting immunity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis MB40 (MB40) on immunity in piglets challenged with the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes (LM). Three-week-old piglets (n = 32) were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) basal diet, (2) basal diet with LM challenge, (3) MB40-supplemented diet, and (4) MB40-supplemented diet with LM challenge. Experimental diets were provided throughout a 14-day (d) period. On d8, piglets in groups 2 and 4 were intraperitoneally inoculated with LM at 108 CFU/mL per piglet. Blood samples were collected at d1, d8, and d15 for biochemical and immune response profiling. Animals were euthanized and necropsied at d15 for liver and spleen bacterial counts and intestinal morphological analysis. At d15, LM challenge was associated with increased spleen weight (p = 0.017), greater circulating populations of neutrophils (p = 0.001) and monocytes (p = 0.008), and reduced ileal villus height to crypt depth ratio (p = 0.009), compared to non-challenged controls. MB40 supplementation reduced LM bacterial counts in the liver and spleen by 67% (p < 0.001) and 49% (p < 0.001), respectively, following the LM challenge, compared to the basal diet. MB40 supplementation was also associated with decreased circulating concentrations of monocytes (p = 0.007). Altogether, these data suggest that MB40 supplementation is a safe and well-tolerated approach to enhance immunity during systemic Listeria infection.

The Combined Effect of Potential Probiotic Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2514 and Bifidobacterium breve NCIM 5671 Towards Anti-inflammatory Activity on HT-29 Cell Lines

Probiotics are considered a natural source for treating many intestinal disorders, which deliver health benefits in different ways. The study aims to evaluate the immunomodulatory gene expression on HT-29 cell line using Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2514 and Bifidobacterium breve NCIM 5671 as a single culture and in combination. Upon inflammation induced by LPS, the combination of bacteria downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α (13.4), IL-12 (14.6), IL-8 (2.6), and IL-6 (1.9), and in contrast, TNF-α (21.2) folds has upregulated. However, anti-inflammatory genes such as IL-4 (0.6), IL-10 (2.9), TGF-2 (92.2), and TGF-3 (85.8) folds were upregulated. The combination of bacteria against oxidative stress downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α & β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and IL-18, and upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10, IL-4, TGF-2, and TGF-3. On the introduction of Kocuria rhizophila, the pro-inflammatory cytokines were upregulated. On supplementation of B. licheniformis and B. breve, the upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines were decreased, and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 (6.2), IL-10 (23.5), TGF-2 (166), and TGF-3(28.4) folds were increased. However, gene expression of toll-like receptor-2 was found high (26 folds) upon introducing probiotic bacteria. ELISA results of Interferon-γ found that the expression was higher (7.19 ng/mL) on the introduction of both the bacteria in combination. The higher anti-inflammatory activity was observed when potential probiotic bacteria were used in combination compared to a single culture. Overall study indicates that the combination of aerobic B. licheniformis and anaerobic B. breve has an anti-inflammatory activity that can sustain an excellent gastrointestinal environment during pathogen invasion and inflammation.

Assessment of a 50:50 mixture of two Bacillus subtilis strains as growth promoters for finishing pigs: productivity improvement and noxious gas reduction

In this study, we aimed to assess the potential of a 50:50 mixture of two Bacillus subtilis strains in improving the productivity and health of finishing pigs and reducing noxious gases in their feces. These strains were found to abundantly secrete surfactin which has been shown to alleviate the effects of lipopolysaccharides in vitro. For the 10-wk experiment, 200 finishing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with an average body weight of 54.15 ± 1.70 kg were divided into four groups. Each group was fed with a basal diet supplemented with an equal amount of spores from the two B. subtilis strains at different levels: control group, no addition; treatment group 1, 0.5 × 109; treatment group 2, 1.0 × 109; treatment group 3, 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 addition. During the 10-wk feeding period, dietary supplementation of 0.5 × 109, 1.0 × 109, and 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 of the spore cells from these two strains resulted in a 0.9%, 1.9%, and 2.5% increase in body weight, respectively (linear P < 0.095). During the final 5 wk, the average daily gain (ADG) in weight was increased by the strains at amounts of 0.5 × 109, 1.0 × 109, and 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 with a clear dosage effect (linear P < 0.05). However, neither the gain-to-feed ratio, the average daily feed intake, nor nutrient digestibility was affected by the supplementation. In blood, the endotoxin lipopolysaccharides, and two liver toxicity indicator enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase were decreased (P < 0.05) in the 1.0 × 109 cfu·kg-1 spores-feeding group. Furthermore, four noxious gases were reduced by 8 to 20% in feces excreted by pigs fed with 1.5 × 109 cfu·kg-1 spores with a linear dosage effect (linear P < 0.001 to 0.05) during the final 5 wk. Our findings suggest that the mixture of B. subtilis strains may enhance the productivity of finishing pigs by reducing the risk of mild endotoxemia, rather than increasing digestibility or daily feed intake. Therefore, these Bacillus strains have the potential to act as growth promoters for pigs, leading to improved animal health and productivity. These results have significant implications for pig farmers seeking to optimize the health and growth of their animals.

Protective effects of Bacillus licheniformis on growth performance, gut barrier functions, immunity and serum metabolome in lipopolysaccharide-challenged weaned piglets

Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) is a well-accepted probiotic that has many benefits on both humans and animals. This study explored the effects of B. licheniformis on growth performance, intestinal mucosal barrier functions, immunity as well as serum metabolome in the weaned piglets exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). One hundred and twenty piglets weaned at four weeks of age were separated into two groups that received a basal diet (the control group, CON), and a basal diet complemented with B. licheniformis (500 mg/kg, the BL group, BL). Twenty-four piglets were chosen from the above two groups and 12 piglets were injected with LPS intraperitoneally at a concentration of 100 μg/kg and the others were injected with sterile saline solution of the same volume. All the piglets were sacrificed 4 h after LPS challenge. Results showed that B. licheniformis enhanced the ADG and final body weight and lowered the F/G and diarrhea rate. Pre-treatment with B. licheniformis markedly attenuated intestinal mucosal damage induced by LPS challenge. Supplementation with B. licheniformis strengthened immune function and suppressed inflammatory response by elevating the concentrations of serum immunoglobulin (Ig) A and jejunum mucosal IgA and IgG and decreasing serum IL-6 and jejunum mucosal IL-1β. In addition, B. licheniformis pretreatment prevented LPS-induced intestinal injury by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, pretreatment with B. licheniformis tended to reverse the reduction of acetate and propionic acids in the colonic contents that occurred due to LPS stress. B. licheniformis markedly modulated the metabolites of saccharopine and allantoin from lysine and purine metabolic pathways, respectively. Overall, these data emphasize the potentiality of B. licheniformis as a dietary supplement to overcome the challenge of bacterial LPS in the animal and to enhance the food safety.

Throughput screening of Bacillus subtilis strains that abundantly secrete surfactin in vitro identifies effective probiotic candidates

Since the prohibition of antibiotics as animal growth promoters, demand for effective probiotic strains has steadily increased. The goal is to maintain productivity and mitigate environmental concerns in the livestock industry. There are many probiotic animal-diet supplements available, over 2,000 products in the Republic of Korea alone, with little explanation about the desirable properties of each probiotic strain. The purpose of this study was to describe the underlying logic and methods used to select two novel strains of probiotic candidates. To economically screen these candidates, the abundance of surfactin secreted was used as an in vitro marker. We used a modified oil-misting method to screen ~2,000 spore-forming bacteria for novel strains of Bacillus subtilis. Of these, 18 strains were initially selected based on the semiquantitative criterion that they secreted more surfactin than B. subtilis ATCC21322 on Luria-Berani (LB) agar plates. The whole genome sequence was determined for two of the 18 strains to verify their identity. A phylogeny of 1,162 orthologous genes, genome contents, and genome organization confirmed them as novel strains. The surfactin profiles produced by these two strains consisted of at least four isoforms similar to standard surfactin and enhanced cellulase activities up to 50%. Four fractionated individual isoforms of surfactin suppressed inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was about 20 μM for each isoform. Both selected strains were susceptible to seven important antibiotics. Our results implied that an abundant secretion of surfactin was a useful biomarker in vitro and could be utilized for mining probiotic candidates through high-throughput screening of environmental samples.

Probiotic mixture (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis) a potential in-feed additive to improve broiler production efficiency, nutrient digestibility, caecal microflora, meat quality and to diminish hazardous odour emission

This research aimed to assess the impact of probiotic supplementation in the broiler diet on growth performance, nutrient utilization, noxious gas emissions, excreta micromiota and meat quality. One thousand six hundred and twenty male Ross 380 broilers (one-day-old, body weight, 42 ± 0.5 g and 5-week trial) were arbitrarily chosen and assigned to three nutritive treatments (basal diet and basal diet included with 0.1%, and 0.2% probiotic mixture [Bacillus subtilis 7.0 × 10⁷ cfu/g, Bacillus licheniformis 4.1 × 10⁷ cfu/g]) with 30 duplicates (18 birds each). Probiotic inclusion linearly increased (p < 0.05) broiler body weight gain (BWG) during Phases 1, 2 and the overall period and decreased (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) linearly on Phase 2 and the overall period. However, feed intake (FI) and mortality rate remained unaffected (p > 0.05). Though nutrient digestibility of nitrogen (N) tendency to increase (p < 0.05), dry matter (DM) and energy (E) did not influence (p > 0.05). Inclusion of a probiotic supplement linearly increased (p < 0.05) Lactobacillus and reduced Salmonella (p < 0.05) counts in broilers. Moreover, broilers fed a diet supplement with probiotic addition linearly decreased (p < 0.05) NH₃ , H₂ S, C₂ O and acetic acid emissions. The graded level of probiotic addition linearly reduced (p < 0.05) cooking loss and the tendency to decrease (p < 0.05) weight of bursa of Fabricius, but had no effect (p > 0.05) on other meat quality measures. These findings indicated that increasing the level of probiotics in feed could improve growth efficiency, nutrient absorption, microbial index, meat quality and reduce gas emissions in broilers.

Review on Preventive Measures to Reduce Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets

In many countries, medical levels of zinc (typically as zinc oxide) are added to piglet diets in the first two weeks post-weaning to prevent the development of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD). However, high levels of zinc constitute an environmental polluting agent, and may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria. Consequently, the EU banned administering medical levels of zinc in pig diets as of June 2022. However, this may result in an increased use of antibiotic therapeutics to combat PWD and thereby an increased risk of further AMR development. The search for alternative measures against PWD with a minimum use of antibiotics and in the absence of medical levels of zinc has therefore been intensified over recent years, and feed-related measures, including feed ingredients, feed additives, and feeding strategies, are being intensively investigated. Furthermore, management strategies have been developed and are undoubtedly relevant; however, these will not be addressed in this review. Here, feed measures (and vaccines) are addressed, these being probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, proteobiotics, plants and plant extracts (in particular essential oils and tannins), macroalgae (particularly macroalgae-derived polysaccharides), dietary fibre, antimicrobial peptides, specific amino acids, dietary fatty acids, milk replacers, milk components, creep feed, vaccines, bacteriophages, and single-domain antibodies (nanobodies). The list covers measures with a rather long history and others that require significant development before their eventual use can be extended. To assess the potential of feed-related measures in combating PWD, the literature reviewed here has focused on studies reporting parameters of PWD (i.e., faeces score and/or faeces dry matter content during the first two weeks post-weaning). Although the impact on PWD (or related parameters) of the investigated measures may often be inconsistent, many studies do report positive effects. However, several studies have shown that control pigs do not suffer from diarrhoea, making it difficult to evaluate the biological and practical relevance of these improvements. From the reviewed literature, it is not possible to rank the efficacy of the various measures, and the efficacy most probably depends on a range of factors related to animal genetics and health status, additive doses used, composition of the feed, etc. We conclude that a combination of various measures is probably most recommendable in most situations. However, in this respect, it should be considered that combining strategies may lead to additive (e.g., synbiotics), synergistic (e.g., plant materials), or antagonistic (e.g., algae compounds) effects, requiring detailed knowledge on the modes of action in order to design effective strategies.

Effect of the Inclusion of Bacillus spp. in Growing-Finishing Pigs' Diets: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis determined the effect of Bacillus spp. on growth performance of growing−finishing pigs and then assessed causes for the heterogeneity of responses detected using meta-regression. A database of 22 articles published from 2000 to 2020 was identified, and 9 articles fitted the selection criteria and were integrated in the final database. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the effect size for ADG, average daily feed intake (ADFI), and F:G ratio using a standardized means difference (SMD) at a 95% confidence interval. A meta-regression analysis was used to investigate the cause of heterogeneity, using the individual SMD for each study assessment as the outcome and the associated SE as the measure of variance. Dietary Bacillus spp. supplementation had no effect on ADFI (SMD: −0.052, p = 0.138) and numerically increased ADG (SMD: 0.113, p = 0.081) and reduced the F:G ratio SMD: −0.127, p < 0.001). Meta-regression outcomes suggested that the number of animals per group was an essential component promoting heterogeneity in ADG. Overall, the inclusion of Bacillus spp. (median 486 mg/d) in growing−finishing pigs can increase ADG and can decrease the F:G ratio.

Metagenomic analysis of microflora structure and functional capacity in probiotic Tibetan kefir grains

Tibetan kefir grains (TKGs) are distinctive and complex mixtures with protein-lipid-polysaccharide matrices and multiple microorganism species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microflora composition, probiotic species and functional genes within TKGs. Metagenomic analysis was used to evaluate communities of three TKGs, revealing the presence of 715 species, with Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens as the most dominant species. The relative abundances of acetic acid bacteria and yeast significantly differed among the three TKGs (acetic acid bacteria: p < 0.01; yeast: p < 0.05), and the dominant yeast species also varied across three TKGs. Lactobacillus helveticus was the most abundant listed probiotic species, and its abundance did not significantly differ across three TKGs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that ko01501 was the most abundant pathway that related to human disease. There are 16 different KOs (KEGG Orthology) in the ko01501 pathway were annotated in TKGs, which helps to resist β-lactam. This study provided a new insight into the microbial community structures and the presence of probiotic species within TKGs and provides a foundation for further targeted studies.

Carcass and Pork Quality and Gut Environment of Pigs Fed a Diet Supplemented with the Bokashi Probiotic

Simple Summary

The use of an EM^®Bokashi probiotic preparation containing specific Lactobacillus and yeasts strains as a feed additive resulted in the improved slaughter value, content of macroelements (Mg, Ca, Na) and chromatic color traits (b*, C*) of meat, but diminished the technological quality (pH, drip loss, TY, shear force) of pork. It additionally resulted in a significant increase in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast counts and a decrease in the population numbers of Clostridium and Enterobacteriaceae in gut microbiota.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota, on carcass and meat quality and on mineral contents in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in pigs. The research was carried out with 120 hybrid pigs deriving from Naïma sows and P-76 boars. Pigs from the experimental group received the EM^®Bokashi probiotic (Greendland Technologia EM®, Janowiec n/Wisłą, Poland) in their feed (containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum). The study showed that EM^®Bokashi probiotic supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in the feed, a lower number of Clostridium in the mucosa and colorectal digesta as well as a lower Enterobacteriaceae count in the colorectal digesta. The research showed that carcasses of the pigs who received the EM^®Bokashi probiotic had a higher lean percentage and lower fat content than the carcasses of the control fatteners. Diet supplementation with the EM^®Bokashi probiotic resulted in a lower pH and technological yield (TY) and a higher drip loss and shear force at a lower protein content in LL muscle. Moreover, the administration of the probiotic to fatteners resulted in higher yellowness (b*) and saturation (C*) and higher concentrations of Na, Mg and Se in meat.

Spore Formers as Beneficial Microbes for Humans and Animals

Microorganisms efficiently colonize the external and internal surfaces of the animal body establishing mutually beneficial interactions and forming site- and individual-specific microbiota. The degradation of complex polysaccharides in the animal gut, the production of useful compounds, protection against pathogenic microorganisms and contribution to the development of an efficient immune system are the main beneficial effects of a balanced microbiota. A dysbiosis, an imbalanced composition of the microbiota, has been associated with a large number of diseases from gastro-intestinal or urogenital disorders to allergies, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases and even to the onset of certain cancers. A growing body of evidence has indicated that probiotic treatments, aimed at maintaining or rebalancing the microbiota, are useful to treat/prevent those illnesses. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria are the most common microbes used in probiotic preparations; however, other bacteria and yeast cells are also widely used in commercial products. Here we focus on the use of bacterial spore formers as probiotics. Spore formers have been marketed as probiotics for over 50 years and are now extensively used for the treatment of intestinal disorders and as dietary supplements in humans, as growth promoters and competitive exclusion agents in animals.

Dynamics of the fecal microbiome and antimicrobial resistome in commercial piglets during the weaning period

This study aimed to characterize the alteration of the fecal microbiome and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants in 24 piglets at day 3 pre-weaning (D. − 3), weaning day (D.0), days 3 (D.3) and 8 post-weaning (D.8), using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Distinct clusters of microbiomes and AMR determinants were observed at D.8 when Prevotella (20.9%) was the major genus, whereas at D. − 3–D.3, Alistipes (6.9–12.7%) and Bacteroides (5.2–8.5%) were the major genera. Lactobacillus and Escherichia were notably observed at D. − 3 (1.2%) and D. − 3–D.3 (0.2–0.4%), respectively. For AMR, a distinct cluster of AMR determinants was observed at D.8, mainly conferring resistance to macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin (mefA), β-lactam (cfxA6 and aci1) and phenicol (rlmN). In contrast, at D. − 3–D.3, a high abundance of determinants with aminoglycoside (AMG) (sat, aac(6')-aph(2''), aadA and acrF), β-lactam (fus-1, cepA and mrdA), multidrug resistance (MDR) (gadW, mdtE, emrA, evgS, tolC and mdtB), phenicol (catB4 and cmlA4), and sulfonamide patterns (sul3) was observed. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) plot associated Escherichia coli with aac(6')-aph(2''), emrA, mdtB, catB4 and cmlA4 at D. − 3, D.0 and/or D.3 whereas at D.8 associations between Prevotella and mefA, cfxA6 and aci1 were identified. The weaning age and diet factor played an important role in the microbial community composition.

Use of Lactobacillus plantarum (strains 22F and 25F) and Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 72N) as replacements for antibiotic-growth promotants in pigs

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum (strains 22F and 25F) and Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 72N) have appeared promising as replacements for antibiotics in in vitro studies. Microencapsulation, especially by the spray-drying method, has been used to preserve their numbers and characteristics during storage and digestion. This study compared the efficacy of these strains and their microencapsulated form with antibiotic usage on growth performance, faecal microbial counts, and intestinal morphology in nursing-finishing pigs. A total of 240 healthy neonatal pigs were treated on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after cross-fostering. Sterile peptone water was delivered orally to the control and antibiotic groups. Spray-dried Lactobacillus plantarum strain 22F stored for 6-months was administered to piglets in the spraydry group. Three ml of each the three fresh strains (10⁹ CFU/mL) were orally administered to piglets in each group. All pigs received the basal diets, but these were supplemented with routine antibiotic for the antibiotic group. Pigs in all the probiotic supplemented groups exhibited a better average daily gain and feed conversion ratio than those of the controls in the nursery and grower phases. Probiotic supplementation increased viable lactobacilli and decreased enterobacterial counts. Antibiotic additives reduced both enterobacterial and lactobacilli counts. Villous height and villous height:crypt depth ratio were greater in probiotic and antibiotic supplemented pigs comparing to the controls, especially in the jejunum. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using these strains as a substitute for antibiotics and the practicality of the microencapsulation protocol for use in swine farms.

Effects of the Use of a Combination of Two Bacillus Species on Performance, Egg Quality, Small Intestinal Mucosal Morphology, and Cecal Microbiota Profile in Aging Laying Hens

Sixty-week-old Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly divided into five groups and fed different diets over a period of 84 days. Experimental treatments included a basal diet (control); the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 10⁶B. licheniformis yb-214245; the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 10⁶B. subtilis yb-114246; a combination of both strains in a 2:1 ratio (6.6 × 10⁵:3.3 × 10⁵B. licheniformis yb-214245:B. subtilis yb-114246); and the latter, added with 5 mg/kg flavomycin. Basal diet supplementation with the combined Bacillus species improved egg-laying performance in aging hens significantly (P < 0.05). Eggshell strength improved significantly with this treatment, compared to the control or the antibiotic-supplemented groups (P < 0.05). The levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in egg yolk declined significantly more in the Bacillus-treated group than in the control or the antibiotic-supplemented groups (P < 0.01). Small intestinal morphology was better in the hens treated with the Bacillus combination than in the hens in the control group (P < 0.05). The total number of aerobic bacteria (Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium) in the cecum was significantly higher in all the Bacillus-supplemented hens than either in the control or the antibiotic-supplemented hens (P < 0.01); additionally, the number of E. coli and Salmonella was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, diet supplementation with the combination of Bacillus species used here for aging laying hens improved their growth performance, cecal bacterial composition, egg quality, and small intestine morphology.

Effect of BioPlus YC Probiotic Supplementation on Gut Microbiota, Production Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality of Pigs

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on microbiological properties of feed mixtures and on the digestive tract content as applicable to production traits and carcass characteristics of fatteners. The experiment was performed on 83,838 fatteners from four successive (insertions) productions in two groups. From the seventy eighth day of age till marketing to the slaughter plant, the pigs were supplied with BioPlus YC probiotic (Chr. Hansen) in the amount of 400 g/t. The preparation contained a complex of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis DSM 5749, and Bacillus subtilis DSM 5750 spores in a 1:1 ratio. From the fourth insertion, after reaching a body weight of approximately 112 kg, 60 fatteners were selected from each group to measure carcass quality and half of them for meat quality evaluation. Moreover, microbiological analyses in feed and colon were performed. The study showed that BioPlus YC probiotics supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis in the feed, a higher count of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and LAB, as well as a lower count of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus sp. in the mucosa and in the colorectal content of the test pigs. Our work has shown that supplementation with the BioPlus YC probiotic had a positive effect on the production traits of pigs mainly by reducing mortality (2.83%, p = 0.010), lowering feed conversion ratio-FCR (2.59 kg/kg, p = 0.013), better average daily gain-ADG (0.95 kg/day, p = 0.002) and shorter fattening period (77.25 days, p = 0.019) when compared to the control group (4.19%; 2.79 kg/kg; 0.89 kg/day; 92.8 days, respectively). The addition of the specific Bacillus bacteria did not influence carcass and meat characteristics of the test fatteners.

Maternal supplementation with Bacillus altitudinis spores improves porcine offspring growth performance and carcass weight

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding Bacillus altitudinis spores to sows and/or offspring on growth and health indicators. On day (D) 100 of gestation, twenty-four sows were selected and grouped as: control (CON), fed with a standard diet; and probiotic (PRO), fed the standard diet supplemented with B. altitudinis WIT588 spores from D100 of gestation until weaning. Offspring (n 144) from each of the two sow treatments were assigned to either a CON (no probiotic) or PRO (B. altitudinis-supplemented) treatment for 28 d post-weaning (pw), resulting in four treatment groups: (1) CON/CON, non-probiotic-supplemented sow/non-probiotic-supplemented piglet; (2) CON/PRO, non-probiotic-supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet; (3) PRO/CON, probiotic-supplemented sow/non-probiotic-supplemented piglet and (4) PRO/PRO, probiotic-supplemented sow/probiotic-supplemented piglet. B. altitudinis WIT588 was detected in the faeces of probiotic-supplemented sows and their piglets, and in the faeces and intestine of probiotic-supplemented piglets. Colostrum from PRO sows had higher total solids (P = 0·02), protein (P = 0·04) and true protein (P = 0·05), and lower lactose (P < 0·01) than colostrum from CON sows. Maternal treatment improved offspring feed conversion ratio at D0-14 pw (P < 0·001) and increased offspring body weight at D105 and D127 pw (P = 0·01), carcass weight (P = 0·05) and kill-out percentage (P < 0·01). It also increased small intestinal absorptive capacity and impacted the haematological profile of sows and progeny. There was little impact of pw treatment on any of the parameters measured. Overall, the lifetime growth benefits in the offspring of B. altitudinis-supplemented sows offer considerable economic advantages for pig producers in search of alternatives to in-feed antibiotics/zinc oxide.

Biotechnological applications of Bacillus licheniformis

Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram positive spore-forming bacterial species of high biotechnological interest with numerous present and potential uses, including the production of bioactive compounds that are applied in a wide range of fields, such as aquaculture, agriculture, food, biomedicine, and pharmaceutical industries. Its use as an expression vector for the production of enzymes and other bioproducts is also gaining interest due to the availability of novel genetic manipulation tools. Furthermore, besides its widespread use as a probiotic, other biotechnological applications of B. licheniformis strains include: bioflocculation, biomineralization, biofuel production, bioremediation, and anti-biofilm activity. Although authorities have approved the use of B. licheniformis as a feed additive worldwide due to the absence of toxigenic potential, some probiotics containing this bacterium are considered unsafe due to the possible transference of antibiotic resistance genes. The wide variability in biological activities and genetic characteristics of this species makes it necessary to establish an exact protocol for describing the novel strains, in order to evaluate its biotechnological potential.

Evaluation of the combined effects of different dose levels of Zinc oxide with probiotics complex supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal microbiota, noxious gas emissions and faecal score of weaning pigs

This study was conducted to assess the effects of different dose levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) combined with probiotics complex supplementation on the growth, performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal lactobacillus and Enterobacteria counts, noxious gas emissions and faecal score of weaned piglets. A total of 180 crossbred weaning pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc; 6.61 ± 1.29 kg [mean ± SE]; 28 days old) were used in a 42-day trial. All pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 treatment diets based on initial BW and sex (9 replicate pens/treatment; 2 gilts and 3 barrows/pen). Dietary treatment groups were as follows: CON, basal diet +ZnO 3,000 ppm; BZS, basal diet +ZnO 2,100 ppm +0.1% SynerZymeF10; BZS1, basal diet +ZnO 1,200 ppm +0.1% SynerZymeF10; BZS2, basal diet +ZnO 300 ppm +0.1% SynerZymeF10. During the phase 3, decreasing the ZnO concentration led to a linear reduction in ADG (p = 0.044), and the ADG was lower (p < 0.05) in BZS2 compared with CON treatment during the whole experimental period. The effects of dietary ZnO with probiotics complex were not detected (p > 0.05) on nutrient digestibility, Lactobacillus and E. coli counts, faecal gas emissions and faecal scores. In conclusion, the diet supplementation of ZnO (1,200 ppm) with probiotics complex has been shown to have comparable efficacy to ZnO (3,000 ppm) diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal microbiota, noxious gas emissions and faecal score of weaning pigs.

Effects of an F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenge on growth performance, immunological status, and gastrointestinal structure of weaned pigs and the potential protective effect of direct-fed microbial blends

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the impact of an F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) challenge on growth performance, aspects of intestinal function, and selected immune responses of piglets, as well as to evaluate potential protective effects of direct-fed microbial (DFM) blends. Seventy-two weaned piglets (6.4 ± 0.2 kg body weight [BW]; ~21 d of age) were assigned to one of four treatments: 1) NC: Nonchallenged (n = 10), 2) positive challenged control (PC): F18 ETEC-challenged (n = 10), 3) PC + DFM1 (n = 8; three strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; 7.5 × 10⁵ colony-forming units [cfu]/g), or 4) PC + DFM2 (n=8; 2 strains of B. amyloliquefaciens and one strain of Bacillus subtilis; 1.5 × 10⁵ cfu/g). Feed intake and BW were recorded on day 0, 7, and 17. Pigs were sham-infected either with 6 mL phosphate-buffered saline or inoculated with 6 mL F18 ETEC (~1.9 × 10⁹ cfu/mL) on day 7 (0 d postinoculation [dpi]). All ETEC-challenged pigs were confirmed to be genetically susceptible to F18. Pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the 17-d trial. Fecal scores were visually ranked and rectal temperatures were recorded daily. To evaluate ETEC shedding, fecal swabs were collected on dpi 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10. Blood samples were collected on dpi 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, and 10. Ileal tissues were collected at necropsy on dpi 10. All challenged treatments had lower final BW, decreased average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the 10-d postchallenge period (P < 0.01). The DFM2 treatment increased E. coli shedding on dpi 2 and decreased iton dpi 7 (P < 0.05) compared with the PC. Rectal temperature decreased across all challenged treatments (P < 0.01). Ileal mRNA abundance of occludin (OCLN) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) decreased in PC and DFM1 compared with NC (P < 0.05). Pigs fed DFM2 had intermediate ileal mRNA abundance of OCLN and increased ZO-1 mRNA compared with pigs in PC (P < 0.05). Interleukin 8 (IL-8) increased in the plasma of PC and DFM2 on dpi 2 compared with NC (P < 0.05). Mucosal IL-8 increased in PC compared with NC (P < 0.05). All challenged treatments tended to have elevated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA abundance compared with NC (P < 0.10). Challenged pigs had reduced secretory immunoglobulin A and villus height compared with NC pigs (P < 0.05). The impact of an ETEC challenge on intestinal function and the immune system has been revealed, information critical to developing improved treatment regimes.

Diet supplemented with fermented okara improved growth performance, meat quality, and amino acid profiles in growing pigs

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of fermented okara on performance and meat quality, and to explore the feasibility of its partial substitution for corn-soybean meal in pig production. A total of 48 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 58.60 ± 0.65 kg were randomly assigned to 2 groups, Control group and Fermented okara (FO) group. There were 8 replicate pens each with 3 pigs per treatment. Control pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet, treatment pigs were fed a basal diet supplemented with FO throughout the 55-d experimental period. Results showed that fermentation of okara using probiotics increased its microporous structure, polysaccharides, lactic acid, and free amino acids (FAA) by 46.06%, 150%, and 66.45% compared with unfermented okara, respectively (p < .05). The diet supplemented with FO significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) by 8.70% (p < .01), but decreased the feed gain ratio (F/G) by 5.56% of growing pigs compared to the control diet (p < .05). Furthermore, dietary FO improve meat color, FAA, and the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in the serum and muscles (p < .05). Collectively, probiotics-fermented okara improved growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant capacity, and it can be used to substitute partial corn-soybean meal in pig industry.

Evaluation of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Feed Additive as an Antibiotic Substitute: Effect on the Growth Performance, Diarrhea Incidence, and Cecal Microbiota in Weaning Piglets

This study investigated the potential of a Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive (BLF) as an antibiotic substitute in weaning piglets. Ninety-six crossbred piglets were randomly allotted into four treatments with three replicate pens per treatment and eight pigs per pen. Piglets were fed diets as follows: a basal diet as control, a basal diet supplemented with bacitracin (30 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate), a basal diet supplemented with BLF (1 g/kg of the Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive), and a basal diet supplemented with bacitracin and BLF (15 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate and 0.5 g/kg of the Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive). The results showed that replacing all or half the bacitracin with BLF both reduced the incidence of diarrhea in weaning piglets from day 1 to 14. Principal coordinates analysis and a species abundance heat map showed that distinct clusters were formed between groups. Replacing all the bacitracin with BLF reduced bacterial evenness in the cecal digesta of weaning piglets, while the inhibitory effect on bacterial evenness was reversed in the group treated with bacitracin in combination with BLF. These results indicated that the half replacement of bacitracin with BLF was able to decrease the incidence of diarrhea and modify cecal microbiota composition in weaning piglets, suggesting that a Bacillus licheniformis-fermented feed additive has good potential as a suitable alternative to antibiotics use in the swine industry.

Combined Use of Bacillus subtilis yb-114,246 and Bacillus licheniformis yb-214,245 Improves Body Growth Performance of Chinese Huainan Partridge Shank Chickens by Enhancing Intestinal Digestive Profiles

The aim of our study was to unveil the promoting function of compound Bacillus sp. in improving chicken digestion-induced higher body growth performance. Strains of Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis were jointly supplemented to the chick diet. Digestive enzyme activities in the digesta improved, development of intestinal villus enhanced, and duodenum and ileum villous height increased, while their crypt depth declined, and the cecum's bacterial composition optimized after 56 days of supplementation. Bacterial composition at the phylum level changed significantly, more Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Epsilonbacteraeota, and Tenericutes, but fewer Bacteroidetes were detected in cecum digesta in the compound Bacillus supplemented group. Bacterial composition diversity, which improves the abundances of metabolic genes through KEGG pathway classification, became more abundant. Results indicated that the Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, and unclassified Lachnospiraceae species are actively correlated with body growth, promoting higher final body weight. In conclusion, owing to digestive enzyme secretion, the development of intestinal villus was stimulated and gastrointestinal bacterial composition optimized, and two combined Bacillus sp. improved chicken body growth. Our findings show the promoting action of Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis on digestion, which can be an alternative to antibiotics.

Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis reduce faecal protein catabolites concentration and odour in dogs

BACKGROUND

Direct-fed microbials (DFM), such as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, may improve gut functionality of the host by favouring non-pathogenic bacteria and reducing the formation of putrefactive compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the nutrient digestibility, faecal characteristics and intestinal-fermentation products in dogs fed diets with Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis. Sixteen dogs were randomly divided into two groups. Every eight dogs were fed with the control diet or the diet with the addition of 62.5 g of DFM (B. subtilis and B. licheniformis)/ton. Diets were provided throughout a 20-day adaptation period, followed by 5 days of total faecal collection. Nutrient digestibility and the metabolisable energy of the diets, plus the dogs' faecal characteristics and intestinal fermentation products were assessed.

RESULTS

There were no differences in nutrient digestibility (P > 0.05). However, DFM supplementation improved faecal score and resulted in less fetid faeces (P < 0.001). DFM inclusion reduced (P < 0.05) the biogenic amines concentration: putrescine, spermidine and cadaverine, besides the concentration of phenols and quinoline.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of B. subtillis and B. licheniformis as DFM reduce the concentration of nitrogen fermentation products in faeces and faecal odour, but the digestibility of nutrients is not altered in dogs.

Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Products Reduce Diarrhea Incidence and Alter the Fecal Microbiota Community in Weaning Piglets

Prophylactic use of antibiotics in-feed has been effective in decreasing the incidence of diarrhea in weaning piglets. However, the overuse of antibiotics as prophylactic or therapeutic agents in animal feed leads to the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues in pigs. This study investigated the effects of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products on diarrhea incidence and the fecal microbial community in weaning piglets. A total of 120 crossbred piglets with an average initial body weight of 9.87 ± 1.43 kg were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments consisting of three replicate stalls with 10 piglets in each. The dietary treatments comprised a basal diet as control, control plus 1 g/kg or 4.5 g/kg of B. licheniformis-fermented products, and control plus 30 mg/kg antibiotics (bacitracin methylene disalicylate). Results showed that 4.5 g/kg of B. licheniformis-fermented product supplementation significantly reduced diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets. Principal coordinate analysis and a heatmap of species abundance indicated distinct clusters between the groups treated with antibiotics and B. licheniformis-fermented products. The bacterial richness and evenness in the feces decreased in weaning piglets fed 1 g/kg of B. licheniformis-fermented products and antibiotics. The abundance of the genera [Ruminococcus] gauvreauii group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Ruminococcaceae UCG-008 in the feces decreased in weaning piglets fed B. licheniformis-fermented products or antibiotics. The average abundance of the genus Prevotella 9 in the feces was positively correlated with the concentration of B. licheniformis-fermented products and negatively correlated with the diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets. Furthermore, the average abundance of the genus Prevotella 9 in the feces was positively correlated with the growth performance of weaning piglets. These results demonstrate that B. licheniformis-fermented products can improve diarrhea incidence and fecal microflora composition in weaning piglets.

Effects of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis complex on growth performance and faecal noxious gas emissions in growing-finishing pigs

BACKGROUND

Probiotics have been used to address antibiotic alternatives and environmental concerns. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis complex supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal microflora and faecal noxious gas emissions in growing-finishing pigs.

RESULTS

Dietary B. licheniformis and B. subtilis complex (B. licheniformis and B. subtilis in a 1:1 ratio) supplementation showed a linear increase (P < 0.05) in digestibility of dry matter at weeks 6, 12 and 15, a linear increase (P < 0.05) in digestibility of nitrogen at week 12, a linear increase (P < 0.05) in faecal Lactobacillus counts at weeks 6 and 12, a linear decrease (P < 0.05) in ammonia (NH₃ ) emission at weeks 6 and 12 and a linear decrease (P < 0.05) in total mercaptan emission at weeks 3, 9 and 15.

CONCLUSION

Dietary B. licheniformis and B. subtilis complex supplementation increased digestibility and faecal Lactobacillus counts and decreased faecal NH₃ and total mercaptan emissions in growing-finishing pigs. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of Bacillus spp. spores and gentamicin on the gastrointestinal microbiota of suckling and newly weaned piglets

Administrating antibiotics to young piglets may have short- and long-term consequences on the gut microbiota. We hypothesised that these consequences may be alleviated by concurrent probiotic administration. The study objective was to investigate the effect of administrating gentamicin and a mixture of Bacillus (B.) licheniformis, B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaeceans spores on the gut microbiota of piglets pre- and post-weaning. Twenty-four sows and their litters were randomly allocated to four treatment groups receiving; a) Bacillus spore mixture (six B. subtilis, two B. amyloliquefaeceans, and one B. licheniformis) fed to sows and piglets (PRO); b) gentamicin (5 mg per day) administered to piglets on day 4, 5, and 6 of age (AB); c) Bacillus spore mixture fed to sows and piglets, and gentamicin to piglets (PRO+AB); or d) no administration of probiotics or antibiotics (CTRL). Faecal and digesta samples were collected repeatedly during the study. Selected samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing, culture counts, and organic acid, biogenic amine and tissue gene expression analysis. Treatment had a significant effect on the faecal microbial community composition on day 28 and 42, and colonic community on day 28. Faecal species richness (observed and estimated) and Shannon index, and colonic species richness, were higher in AB compared to PRO piglets on day 28, and were not significantly different from day 42. PRO piglets had the highest faecal concentration of iso-butyric acid on day 7 and a higher butyric acid concentration compared to CTRL piglets. We conclude that gentamicin and Bacillus spores influence the gut microbial diversity of piglets, although administration of gentamicin did not result in dysbiosis as hypothesised.

Influence of dietary supplementation with Bacillus licheniformis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as alternatives to monensin on growth performance, antioxidant, immunity, ruminal fermentation and microbial diversity of fattening lambs

Alternatives to antibiotics for improving productivity and maintaining the health of livestock health are urgently needed. The scope of this research was conducted to investigate the effects of two alternatives (Bacillus licheniformis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to monensin on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immunity, ruminal fermentation and microbial diversity of fattening lambs. One hundred and sixty Dorper × Thin-tailed Han sheep (32 ± 3.45 kg BW) were randomly assigned into 5 treatments of n = 32 lambs/group. Lambs in the control group were fed a basal diet (NC) while the other four treatments were fed basal diets supplemented with monensin (PC), Bacillus licheniformis (BL), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC), and the combination of Bacillus licheniformis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with protease (BS), respectively. The experiment lasted for 66 d. Feed intake was recorded every 2 d and lambs were weighed every 20 d. Ten lambs from each group were slaughtered at the end of the trial, and samples of serum and rumen fluid were collected. The results indicated that the dietary regimen did not affect the dry matter intake (DMI). The average daily gain (ADG) of BS treatment was significantly higher than NC group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NC treatment, the other four supplementation treatments increased the concentration of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin (INS) (P < 0.05). The malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) showed no significant difference among the 5 treatments while the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of BS group was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The supplementation regimen decreased the concentration of ammonia Nitrogen (NH3-N) and increased the content of microbial crude proteins (MCP) (P < 0.05). The supplementation of antibiotics and probiotics reduced the concentrations of acetate and increased the concentrations of propionate (P < 0.05). The supplementation treatments increased the relative abundance of Lentisphaerae, Fibrobacteres and Tenericutes at the phylum level, whereas at the genus level, they increased the relative abundance of Fibrobacter (P < 0.05). Overall, this study confirmed the facilitating effect of B. licheniformis, S. cerevisiae and their compounds on growth performance, improve the antioxidant capacity and immune function, and beneficially manipulate ruminal fermentation and microbial diversity of fatting lambs.

Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis and bacitracin methylene disalicylate on growth performance, digestibility, blood metabolites, immunity, and intestinal microbiota after intramuscular inoculation with Escherichia coli in broilers

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bacillus subtilis (BS) on broiler performance and health after intramuscular inoculation with E. coli and compare its effect with a growth promoter antibiotic. In a completely randomized design manner, 360 male Ross 308 chicks were divided into 6 treatments and 5 replicates of 12 chicks in each replicate. Experimental treatments included control diet, control + E. coli (0.5 mL of culture containing 108 CFU of E. coli/ml), control + 0.1% BS, control + 0.05% bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD), control + E. coli and BS, and control + E. coli and BMD in a factorial arrangement (3 × 2). Addition of BMD or BS to the control diet significantly (P < 0.01) increased body weight and decreased FCR, but E. coli challenge adversely reduced (P < 0.01) body weight and increased FCR, so that the addition of BMD or BS did not compensate growth reduction. E. coli challenged chicks had the lowest vaccine titers for ND, IB, AI, and IBD and the highest were observed in chicks fed BS. The E. coli challenge significantly (P < 0.01) increased albumin, globulin, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, ALT, and ALP indices. Addition of BMD and BS decreased albumin and globulin in challenged chick's plasma but had no effect on plasma lipid profile concentration. The E. coli challenge decreased villus height and increased crypt depth and goblet cell numbers significantly (P < 0.01). In birds subjected to BMD or BS, crypt depth decreased and villus height increased (P < 0.01), compared with the control diet. Challenge of E. coli significantly (P < 0.01) increased the bacterial population of E. coli, coliforms, and Salmonella in cecal parts of broilers' intestines. In challenged birds receiving BMD or BS, E. coli, coliform, and Salmonella populations of ceca showed a significant (P < 0.01) reduction. Both BMD and BS increased the digestibility of nutrients significantly (P < 0.01), but a reduction was observed in E. coli challenged groups. Results of the study suggest that spore-forming probiotics are partially effective in unsuitable rearing situations such as colibacillosis in which the load of harmful bacteria is high.

Effects of long-term Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on performance, egg quality, and fecal and cecal microbiota of laying hens

This study evaluated the effects of long-term Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on the performance, egg quality, and fecal/cecal microbiota of laying hens. A total of 360 28-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 12 birds each for 24 weeks. The experimental treatments included a basal diet without additions (Con) and the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 105 (B1), 1.0 × 106 (B2), 1.0 × 107 (B3), and 1.0 × 108 (B4) cfu/g B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921. The results showed that feed:egg ratio significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24), B2 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, and 21 to 24), B3 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24), and B4 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24). However, egg production, egg weight, and feed intake were not significantly different (P > 0.05) among treatments. Eggshell strength significantly improved (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 8, 16, 20, and 24), B2 (wk 20 and 24), and B3 (wk 8, 16, 20, and 24). Fecal E. coli counts significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 16), B2 (wk 12, 16, 20, and 24), B3 (wk 12, 20, and 24), and B4 (wk 16, 20, and 24). Lactobacillus in cecal digesta of groups B1, B3, and B4 increased significantly (P < 0.01). Bifidobacterium in cecal digesta of groups B1, B2, B3, and B4 increased significantly (P < 0.05). Bifidobacterium counts increased linearly (P = 0.015) and quadratically (P = 0.004) as B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation increased. Compared with Con, E. coli in the cecal digesta of groups B2 and B4 decreased significantly (P < 0.01). C. perfringens in the cecal digesta of groups B3 and B4 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). E. coli:Lactobacillus ratio decreased in group B1 (P < 0.05) and B2, B3, and B4 (P < 0.01). Therefore, the probiotic B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 effectively improved performance and egg quality via the reduction of fecal E. coli and beneficial modulation of cecal microbiota.

Non-antibiotic feed additives in diets for pigs: A review

A number of feed additives are marketed to assist in boosting the pigs' immune system, regulate gut microbiota, and reduce negative impacts of weaning and other environmental challenges. The most commonly used feed additives include acidifiers, zinc and copper, prebiotics, direct-fed microbials, yeast products, nucleotides, and plant extracts. Inclusion of pharmacological levels of zinc and copper, certain acidifiers, and several plant extracts have been reported to result in improved pig performance or improved immune function of pigs. It is also possible that use of prebiotics, direct-fed microbials, yeast, and nucleotides may have positive impacts on pig performance, but results have been less consistent and there is a need for more research in this area.

Influence of Probiotics-Friendly Pig Production on Meat Quality and Physicochemical Characteristics

In this study, the dietary effects of probiotics with a liquid application system on meat quality and physicochemical characteristics of pigs were evaluated. A total of 80 Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc (LYD) 3-way crossbred pigs (average age 175±5 d) were assigned to a conventional farm and a probiotics farm equipped with a liquid probiotics application system (40 pigs in each farm). The two treatments were: CON (diet without probiotics) and PRO (diet with probiotics). Dietary probiotics decreased shear force in the longissimus muscle compared to the control group (p<0.05). The treatment diet did not affect backfat thickness, carcass weight, meat color, cooking loss, water holding capacity (WHC), and drip loss. Dietary probiotics significantly reduced ash, salinity, and pH (at 5 and 15 d) (p<0.05). There was no significant effect on thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and omega fatty acids (ω3 and ω6) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the PRO group, whereas monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) was decreased. The free amino acid composition, serine, lysine, histidine, and arginine levels were significantly lower in the PRO than in the control group. The treatment group exhibited higher nucleotide compounds (hypoxanthine, inosine, GMP, IMP) than the controls. Also, levels of ascorbic acid and thiamin were significantly different (p<0.05), while minerals were not significantly different between the groups. In conclusion, feeding of probiotics had effects on shear force, ash, salinity, pH, PUFA, and some amino acids which related to taste and flavor without any negative effects on the pigs’ carcass traits.

Obesity and Cancer: Existing and New Hypotheses for a Causal Connection

Existing explanations of obesity-associated cancer emphasise direct mutagenic effects of dietary components or hormonal imbalance. Some of these hypotheses are reviewed briefly, but recent evidence suggests a major role for chronic inflammation in cancer risk, possibly involving dietary content. These ideas include the inflammation-induced activation of the kynurenine pathway and its role in feeding and metabolism by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and by modulating synaptic transmission in the brain. Evidence for a role of the kynurenine pathway in carcinogenesis then provides a potentially major link between obesity and cancer. A second new hypothesis is based on evidence that serine proteases can deplete cells of the tumour suppressors Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) and neogenin. These enzymes include mammalian chymotryptic proteases released by pro-inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages. Blood levels of chymotrypsin itself increase in parallel with food intake. The mechanistically similar bacterial enzyme subtilisin is widespread in the environment, animal probiotics, meat processing and cleaning products. Simple public health schemes in these areas, with selective serine protease inhibitors and AHR antagonists and could prevent a range of intestinal and other cancers.

Bacillus probiotics: an alternative to antibiotics for livestock production

The use of probiotics as feed supplements in animal production has increased considerably over the last decade, particularly since the ban on antibiotic growth promoters in the livestock sector. Several Bacillus sp. are attractive for use as probiotic supplements in animal feed due to their ability to produce spores. Their heat stability and ability to survive the low pH of the gastric barrier represent an advantage over other probiotic micro-organisms. This review discusses important characteristics required for selection of Bacillus probiotic strains and summarizes the beneficial effect of Bacillus-based feed additives on animal production. Although the mechanism of action of Bacillus probiotics has not been fully elucidated, they are effective in improving the growth, survival and health status of terrestrial and aquatic livestock. Bacillus strains also have utility in bioremediation and can reduce nitrogenous waste, thereby improving environmental conditions and water quality. Finally, recent innovative approaches for using Bacillus spores in various applications are discussed.

Effects of complex probiotic supplementation in growing pig diets with and without palm kernel expellers on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, fecal microbial shedding and noxious gas emission

In Experiment 1, a total of 100 growing pigs (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]) with an average initial body weight (BW) of 24.88 ± 1.57 kg were randomly allotted to 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two concentrations of palm kernel expellers (PKE) in diets at 0% or 10%, and two concentrations of supplemental probiotics at 0 or 6.0 × 10⁷  colony-forming units/kg. There were five replicate pens per treatment with five pigs per pen. In Experiment 2, eight barrows with average initial BW of 25.78 ± 0.19 kg were allotted to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four diets and four periods per square. Four experimental diets were the same as Experiment 1. In Experiment 1, dietary probiotic supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the average daily gain (ADG), nutrient digestibility and the fecal Lactobacillus counts. Furthermore, interactive effects (P < 0.05) between PKE and probiotics were observed on ADG and growth-to-feed ratio. In Experiment 2, an interactive effect (P < 0.05) of PKE and probiotics was observed in apparent ileal digestibility of nitrogen and some amino acids. In conclusion, dietary probiotics did not improve PKE utilization and the use of probiotics in non-PKE-containing diet was more favorable than in PKE-containing diet.

Database and Bioinformatics Studies of Probiotics

Probiotics have been widely explored for health benefits, animal cares, and agricultural applications. Recent advances in microbiome, microbiota, and microbial dark matter research have fueled greater interests in and paved ways for the study of the mechanisms of probiotics and the discovery of new probiotics from uncharacterized microbial sources. A probiotics database named PROBIO was developed to facilitate these efforts and the need for the information on the known probiotics, which provides the comprehensive information about the probiotic functions of 448 marketed, 167 clinical trial/field trial, and 382 research probiotics for use or being studied for use in humans, animals, and plants. The potential applications of the probiotics data are illustrated by several literature-reported investigations, which have used the relevant information for probing the function and mechanism of the probiotics and for discovering new probiotics. PROBIO can be accessed free of charge at http://bidd2.nus.edu.sg/probio/homepage.htm .

Effects of synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and muscular antioxidant capacity and mineral contents in broilers

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass composition, meat quality and muscular antioxidant capacity, and mineral contents in broilers. Accordingly, 96 day-old male broiler chicks (Arbor Acres Plus; Aviagen, Huntsville, AL, USA) were randomly allocated to two groups, and each group consisted of six replicates with eight chicks each. Birds were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with either 0 or 1.5 g kg^-1 synbiotic, consisting of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Clostridium butyricum) and prebiotics (yeast cell wall and xylooligosaccharide) from 1 to 42 days of age.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, supplementation with a synbiotic increased average daily gain (P < 0.05) but reduced feed/gain ratio (P < 0.01) in broilers from 1 to 42 days of age. Similalrly, dietary synbiotic inclusion increased breast yield (P < 0.05) but decreased abdominal fat (P < 0.01) in broilers. The breast muscle pH value at 24 h postmortem in broilers was elevated with the incorporation of synbiotic (P < 0.05). By contrast, synbiotic supplementation lowered the cooking loss during heat treatment in a water bath, malondialdehyde content, and total Cr content in the thigh muscle in broilers (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Dietary synbiotic supplementation into the diet of broilers may be an effective method for improving growth performance and carcass compositions, resulting in the production of meat with a favorable quality and oxidative stability. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis supplementation in diets with low- and high-protein content on ileal crude protein and amino acid digestibility and intestinal microbiota composition of growing pigs

Background

Bacillus spp. seem to be an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters for improving animals’ health and performance. However, there is little information on the effect of Bacillus spp. in combination with different dietary crude protein (CP) levels on the ileal digestibility and microbiota composition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of Bacillus spp. supplementation to low- (LP) and high-protein diets (HP) on ileal CP and amino acid (AA) digestibility and intestinal microbiota composition.

Methods

Eight ileally cannulated pigs with an initial body weight of 28.5 kg were randomly allocated to a row-column design with 8 pigs and 3 periods of 16 d each. The assay diets were based on wheat-barley-soybean meal with two protein levels: LP (14% CP, as-fed) and HP diet (18% CP, as-fed). The LP and HP diets were supplemented with or without Bacillus spp. at a level of 0.04% (as-fed). The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of CP and AA was determined. Bacterial community composition from ileal digesta was analyzed by Illumina amplicon sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial design using the GLIMMIX procedures of SAS.

Results

The supplementation with Bacillus spp. did not affect both AID and SID of CP and AA in growing pigs. Moreover, there was no difference in AID of CP and AA between HP and LP diets, but SID of cystine, glutamic acid, glycine, and proline was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the HP diets. The HP diets increased abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., (P < 0.05) and by amplicon sequencing the latter was identified as predominant genus in microbiota from HP with Bacillus spp., whereas dietary supplementation of Bacillus spp. increased (P < 0.05) abundance of Roseburia spp..

Conclusions

The HP diet increased abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.. The supplementation of Bacillus spp. resulted in a higher abundance of healthy gut associated bacteria without affecting ileal CP and AA digestibility, whereas LP diet may reduce the flow of undigested protein to the large intestine of pigs.

Response to a Salmonella Typhimurium challenge in piglets supplemented with protected sodium butyrate or Bacillus licheniformis: effects on performance, intestinal health and behavior,2

Salmonella spp. is one of the worldwide leading causes of food-borne illnesses for which the inclusion of probiotics or organic acids in animal feeds can be useful control methods. Experimental models are utilized to test the efficacy of strategies against pathogens, but they exhibit limitations which may preclude finding sensible evaluation parameters. The objective of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of 2 different feed additives; a Bacillus licheniformis based probiotic and a protected sodium butyrate (SB) salt, using an experimental model of salmonellosis and, second, to explore if behavior analysis can be used as a sensible evaluation tool for additives evaluation. A total of 78 piglets weaned at 24 d, 8.3 kg BW, were used. Seventy-two were placed in 3 rooms of 8 pens (3 animals/pen) with evenly distributed treatments (n = 8): CON, control group with plain diet; PRO, plain diet with 1 kg/t of Proporc (10⁹ cfu of B. licheniformis/kg of feed), and BUT, plain diet with 3 kg/t of Gustor BP70 (2.1 g of partially protected SB salt/kg of feed). Remaining piglets (n = 6) were separated and used as a challenge negative control. The experiment lasted 16 d. After 1 wk of adaptation, animals were challenged with 5 × 10⁸ cfu of Salmonella Typhimurium. One pig per pen was euthanized and sampled at d 4 and 8 post-inoculation (PI). There were no significant differences among treatments for ADFI, ADG, G:F, rectal temperature, fecal consistency, pH, ammonia, short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid concentrations, cytokine TNF-α, Pig-MAP acute-phase proteins and histological parameters. However, both products were equally able to reduce colonization and shedding of Salmonella (P = 0.016 for PRO and BUT vs. CON). In addition, PRO treatment had a positive effect on behavioral displays, particularly exploring (P < 0.05 vs. CON), feeding (P < 0.05 vs. CON and BUT) and other active behaviors (P < 0.05 vs. CON and BUT) in the morning period (0830 to 1030 h). In the afternoon (1400 to 1600 h), the challenge effect was most significant. Pigs were less active after the challenge (P < 0.001), with a decrease in positive contacts (P = 0.004), exploration (P < 0.001) and feeding behaviors (P < 0.001) on d 3 PI, in comparison with before the challenge. Accordingly, many lying conducts increased at d 3 PI (P < 0.05). In conclusion, both treatments had positive effects against Salmonella, and behavior analysis appears to be a sensible tool to be considered.