Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307422

Title: Inhibition of Growth of Salmonella by Native Flora of Broiler Chickens

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Gamble, Gary
item Ingram, Kimberly
item Holser, Ronald
item Oakley, Brian

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2014
Publication Date: 10/12/2014
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Gamble, G.R., Ingram, K.D., Holser, R.A., Oakley, B. 2014. Inhibition of Growth of Salmonella by Native Flora of Broiler Chickens [abstract]. Microal Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Introduction Some bacteria in the cecal microflora of broilers can inhibit colonization of chicks by Salmonella. Beneficial cecal bacteria may reduce Salmonella colonization by competing for nutrients and attachment sites or by producing metabolites that inhibit Salmonella growth. The purpose of this study was to determine if cecal bacteria cultured in media supplemented with lactate and succinate produced metabolites that inhibit Salmonella growth in vitro. Materials and Methods Cecal cultures were prepared by inoculating broth media with cecal contents of processed broilers and anaerobic incubation at 37oC for 48 h. Media supplemented with 0, 50, 100, or 150 mM of sodium lactate and sodium succinate were inoculated with the cecal culture, only; Salmonella Typhimurium, only; or the cecal culture and Salmonella Typhimurium. Inoculated media was incubated anaerobically at 37oC, and samples were removed after 7, 14, and 21 days for microbial and chemical analysis. Cecal bacteria and Salmonella Typhimurium were enumerated, and concentrations of formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, lactic, and succinic acids were measured. Cecal bacteria were selected from agar and identified using the Biolog Microbial Identification System. Three trials of the experiment were conducted, and statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad InStat. Results After 21 days of incubation, significantly (p < 0.05) fewer Salmonella were recovered from mixed cultures of cecal bacteria and Salmonella incubated in media supplemented with 50, 100, or 150 mM lactate and succinate than from non-supplemented media. Significantly higher concentrations of propionate were produced in media supplemented with lactate and succinate and inoculated with cecal bacteria only or cecal bacteria and Salmonella, but not in media inoculated with Salmonella only. Cecal isolates were included Abiotrophia, Arcanobacterium, Atopobium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Eubacterium, Gemella, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Propionibacterium, Proteus, and Weissella. Conclusion Propionate produced by the metabolism of lactate and succinate may play a role in the inhibition of the Salmonella by cecal bacteria. Understanding the anti-Salmonella activity of these bacteria may assist in defining the inhibitory mechanisms of competitive inhibition and identifying bacteria that should be included in effective probiotics.