ARS | Publication request: In vitro selection of enteric microflora for potential use as a probiotic culture against Campylobacter in poultry.

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 1, 2009
Publication Date: June 18, 2009
Citation: Donoghue, D.J., Reyes-Herrera, I., Blore, P., Guillermo, T., Hargis, B., Donoghue, A.M. 2009. In vitro selection of enteric microflora for potential use as a probiotic culture against Campylobacter in poultry. Meeting Abstract.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is one of the most commonly reported bacterial causes of human foodborne illness and epidemiological evidence indicates poultry and poultry products as significant sources of human Campylobacter infection. In an effort to reduce colonization of enteric pathogens in poultry, scientists have administrated nonpathogenic microflora (probiotics) to neonatal poultry. Although this strategy has proven successful for other enteric pathogens, it has not consistently worked against Campylobacter. This may be because most probiotic cultures are developed by randomly collecting enteric bacteria without any preselection criteria for bacteria. It may be possible to enhance the efficacy of a probiotic culture against Campylobacter by preselecting enteric microflora with the ability to inhibit Campylobacter, in vitro. With this goal, an assay was developed to test individual isolates with the ability to reduce or eliminate Campylobacter growth, in vitro. Individual isolates were obtained from cecal material of both juvenile and adult poultry. Isolates were serially diluted (10**3, 10**4 and 10**5 CFU/well) and added to 96 well polystyrene plates containing 1x10**4 CFU C. jejuni or C. coli/well. Plates were incubated at 42 C in a microaerophilic environment for 22 to 24 hours. Following incubation, a 1 µL loop from each well was streaked onto Campy-Cefex and incubated at 42 C in a microaerophilic environment for 24-48 hours. Approximately 30 isolates were identified with the ability to inhibit C. jejuni or C. coli growth in vitro. Preliminary studies using combinations of these isolates in neonatal poults demonstrated some efficacy against Campylobacter colonization. This research demonstrates in vitro efficacy of isolates against Campylobacter, however additional research will be required to identify combinations of isolates with the ability to consistently inhibit Campylobacter colonization in vivo.