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This survey aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different forms of savory essential oil (SEO) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens. A total of 360 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to 6 dietary treatment groups with 5 replicates per treatment and 12 birds per pen. The experiment consisted of a 2×3 factorial arrangement including two different forms [encapsulated SEO (ESEO) and nonencapsulated SEO (NSEO)] in three levels (0, 150, and 300 mg/kg diet) of SEO. Growth performance, jejunal morphology and intestine microbial population were examined. Our results revealed that feed intake was not influenced by the dietary treatments in different experimental periods. As well as, the experimental diets did not influence body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the starter period. However, at the grower, finisher, and also whole rearing periods, broilers which received 150 mg/kg SEO had significantly higher BWG and lower FCR compared to the birds fed the control diet. The final body weight (FBW) was also higher in chickens fed with diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg SEO in comparison to the others. The results also revealed that 150 mg/kg SEO, significantly increased the concentration of Lactobacillus and decreased the intensity of coliforms in the ileal digesta in comparison to the control diet. Furthermore, villus height was significantly lower in birds fed the control diet than in the birds that consumed different levels of SEO. Eventually, the findings of this experiment revealed that dietary supplementation of SEO, especially at 150 mg/kg level, was effective in raising the populations of beneficial microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract as well as improving intestinal morphology and growth performance of broilers.

Background: The resistance of the bacteria and fungi to the innumerous antimicrobial agents is a major challenge in the treatment of the infections demands to the necessity for searching and finding new sources of substances with antimicrobial properties. The incorporation of the essential oils (EOs) in chitosan film forming solution may enhance antimicrobial properties. However, its use as the feeding additive in the poultry nutrition needs to clarify the product's activity against both pathogen and the useful microbes in the gastrointestinal tract. Objectives: In the present study, we carried out an in vitro investigation and evaluated the antimicrobial activity of chitosan film forming solution incorporated with essential oils (CFs+EOs) against microbial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus rahmnosus, Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternate. Material and Methods: In three replicates, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of different treatments including: 1- essential oils (EOs), 2- chitosan film solution (CFs), and 3-chitosan film solution enriched with EOs (CFs+EOs) were determined against above mentioned microbes. Results: The results indicated that the chitosan solution enriched with essential oils (CFs+EOs) is capable of inhibiting the bacterial and fungal growth even at the lowest concentrations. The MIC and MBC for all the antimicrobial agents against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were very low compared to the concentrations needed to inhibit the growth of useful bacteria, Lactobacillus rahmnosu and Enterococcus faecium. The antifungal activity of chitosan was enhanced as the concentration of EOs increased in the film solution. Conclusion: Chitosan-EOs complexes are the promising candidate for novel contact antimicrobial agents that can be used in animal feeds.

International audience; This is the first assay that describes the isolation and identification of strains and species of Lactobacillus from the honey stomach of the Asiatic giant honeybee, Apis dorsata. Samples of honeybees were collected from A. dorsata colonies in different bee trees, and Lactobacillus was isolated from honey stomachs using selective media. The isolates were Gram-stained and tested for catalase reaction. The 16S rRNA genes from extracted DNA of bacterial colonies were amplified with polymerase chain reaction using lactobacilli genus primers (27F and 1492R). All bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced and deposited in GenBank. The 34 isolated strains yielded three distinct rRNA sequences of 15 different strains. Lactobacillus sequences isolated from the bees' honey stomachs were comprised of Lactobacillus kunkeei related-sequences (56%) with other abundant sequences being related to other Lactobacillus sp. (38%) and Lactobacillus vermiform (6%). These strains can be good candidates for potential application as probiotics in honeybees and also as natural food preservatives, which, in turn, may be useful in the food industry.

The objective of the present study was to isolate, identify and characterize new LAB strains with high probiotic potentials from Iranian (Isfahan) indigenous chickens. From 90 isolated LABs, 11 isolates had high growth rate under different stress conditions, including acid (pH 2.5), bile (0.5% oxgall), salt (6-15%) and temperatures 15 and 45°C, and their aggregation time was less than 120 min. Based on the molecular identification using 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, the isolates belonged to two Lactobacillus salivarius and L. reuteri species. The isolates showed different tolerance to 16 clinically and veterinary relevant antibiotics, and most of them were resistant to or semi-tolerant of 7-15 different studied antibiotics. The Es11, Es12, Es3 and Es13 strains with resistance to or semi-tolerance of 15, 14 and 13 different antibiotics, respectively, were the most tolerant strains. The selected isolates showed a wide range of antimicrobial activity against 7 different pathogenic strains. All the isolates exhibited antagonistic activity against E. coli, Enterococcus hirae, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus. The isolates Es6 and Es11 with high antagonistic activity and resistance against 6 of the studied pathogens were the most powerful antagonistic isolates. The values and types of adhesion to the Caco-2 cell cultures were significantly different (0-40 bacteria/Caco-2 cell), and the maximum adhesion was observed for the isolates Es6 and Es13 with 35 and 40 bacteria adhesion/cell, respectively. Finally, based on all the experiments, 7 strains, including Es1, Es6, Es7, Es11, Es12 and Es13, were selected for the further in vivo assays and possible use in the poultry industry.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of two Lactobacillus strains on hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity induced by supposedly unpleasant handling (UH) of broiler chickens. The three treatments were: (1) non-handled chicks fed basal diet (control); (2) unpleasantly handled-chicks fed basal diet (UH-BD) and (3) unpleasantly handled-chicks fed basal diet supplemented with the probiotic, lactobacilli (UH-BDL). Chicks were exposed to UH from days 1 to 21. Treatment UH-BDL received probiotics in their diet for the whole experimental period. Blood corticosterone (CS) concentrations were monitored at 14, 28, 35 and 42 days of age and selected caecal bacterial groups were enumerated in 14-day old birds. Unpleasant handling significantly increased blood CS concentrations at 14 and 28 days of age. Blood CS concentration decreased with age over the course of the experimental period. Lactobacillus supplementation did not reduce blood CS concentration in broilers in the UH-BDL treatment. Moreover, the UH treatment did not alter caecal bacterial numbers in the 14-day old broilers while the probiotic numerically increased total anaerobes and lactobacilli. Overall, it seems as if the efficacy of lactobacilli to modulate stress-related high HPA-axis activity depends on gastrointestinal tract microbial alteration. However, Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salicinius JCM 1230 and L. agilis JCM 1048 were able to re-establish a proper microbial balance in the caecum of the chickens.

AIM: To assess the probiotic effects of Lactobacillus agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 and the pH on the cecal microflora of chicken and metabolic end products. METHODS AND RESULTS: An in vitro system, operated with batch bioreactor, was used for this assessment. Selected bacterial species were monitored at two pH values, over 24 h of batch culture incubation. The concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and lactate in the fermented material was also determined. The addition of L. agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230 into vessel 2 (Cc + P) increased the total anaerobes, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria after 24 h incubation. Moreover, lactobacilli supplementation decreased the total aerobes and streptococci, but it did not have any effects on coliforms. The supplementation of lactobacilli in vessel 2 (Cc + P) was found to significantly increase the production of lactate, propionate and butyrate. Furthermore, pH did not alter the formation of butyrate, whereas the production of acetate and propionate was significantly decreased at pH = 5.8. CONCLUSIONS: L. agilis JCM 1048 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius JCM 1230, as probiotic bacteria, have the ability to re-establish proper microbial balance by the formation of lactate as well as propionate, and stimulate butyrate-producing bacteria to produce butyrate in the chicken cecum. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study was the first to report this under in vitro conditions, highlighting the probiotic roles of the two Lactobacillus strains in broiler cecal fermentation at different initial pH. These useful data can be helpful in improving the fermentation process in chicken cecum.