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Title: Bacteriocins reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization while bacteria producing bacteriocins are ineffective

Author
item Stern, Norman
item ERUSLANOV, BORIS - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item POKHILENKO, VICTOR - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item KOVALEV, YURI - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item VOLODINA, LARISA - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item PERELYGIN, VLADIMIR - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item MITSEVICH, EVGENII - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item MITSEVICH, IRINA - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item BORZENKOV, VALERY - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item LEVCHUK, VLADIMIR - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item SVETOCH, OLGA - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item STEPANSHIN, YURI - ST RES CTR RUSSIA
item SVETOCH, EDWARD - ST RES CTR RUSSIA

Submitted to: Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/29/2008
Publication Date: 4/1/2008
Citation: Stern, N.J., Eruslanov, B.V., Pokhilenko, V.D., Kovalev, Y.N., Volodina, L.L., Perelygin, V.V., Mitsevich, E.V., Mitsevich, I.P., Borzenkov, V.N., Levchuk, V.P., Svetoch, O.E., Stepanshin, Y.G., Svetoch, E.A. 2008. Bacteriocins reduce Campylobacter jejuni colonization while bacteria producing bacteriocins are ineffective. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease.

Interpretive Summary: We hoped to intervene in gut colonization by Campylobacter jejuni using a defined probiotic treatment. Chicken intestinal contents were screened for diverse bacterial isolates that manifested C. jejuni inhibition. These antagonistic bacteria were directly fed to chickens before or after C. jejuni challenge. Only when C. jejuni challenges approached the chick colonization dose-50%, were prophylactic probiotic treatments effective. Otherwise, probiotic treatments failed to control C. jejuni colonization. Two of our most promising antagonistic isolates, Lactobacillus salivarius NRRL B-30514 and Paenibacillus polymyxa NRRL B-30509, were further studied for effectiveness to control C. jejuni in chickens. When 250 mg of purified bacteriocins (produced by these organisms)/Kg feed were therapeutically fed to C. jejuni colonized chickens, colonization was reduced by at least one-million fold. Treatments with viable probiotic bacterial cultures were, at best, only modestly effective in controlling C. jejuni in chickens. Our data suggests that bacteriocin treatment in live birds substantially controlled C. jejuni colonization and was far more effective than were treatments with the corresponding antagonistic probiotic bacteria. INTERPRETIVE SUMMARY Human disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni is often transmitted through poultry products. We wanted to reduce the levels of the pathogen in the live chicken. We systematically screened a wide variety of intestinal bacteria from commercially grown broilers for antagonists to C. jejuni. Those bacteria demonstrating the largest zones of inhbition against C. jejuni were selected for further study. We treated chickens with combinations of these antagonistic bacteria both prophylactically and therapeutically, before and after C. jejuni colonization. We were unable to demonstrate any colonization inhibition in these birds. From these same antagonists, we extracted select proteins (bacteriocins) and therapeutically treated C. jejuni colonized chickens. We dramatically reduced or eliminated C. jejuni colonization in these treated birds. We conclude that feeding live antagonists does not result in control but, feeding purified bacteriocins does dramatically control C. jejuni in chickens. This approach may be valuable in controlling a prominent agent of disease.

Technical Abstract: Broiler chickens are widely considered an important source for human exposure to Campylobacter jejuni because of the high numbers found colonizing the chicken gut and the consequent contamination of processed carcasses. We hoped to intervene in gut colonization by C. jejuni using a defined probiotic. Chicken intestinal contents were screened for diverse bacterial isolates that manifested C. jejuni inhibition. These antagonistic bacteria were directly fed to chickens before or after C. jejuni challenge. Only when C. jejuni challenges approached the chick colonization dose-50%, were prophylactic probiotic treatments effective. Otherwise, probiotic treatments failed to control C. jejuni colonization. As birds further aged, unless the treatment totally eliminated the agent, C. jejuni numbers soon approached levels observed in the control birds. Because commercial broilers may be exposed to various levels of C. jejuni at any time during production, we sought an alternative treatment. Two of our most promising antagonistic isolates, Lactobacillus salivarius NRRL B-30514 and Paenibacillus polymyxa NRRL B-30509, were further studied for effectiveness to control C. jejuni in chickens. When 250 mg of purified bacteriocins (produced by these organisms)/Kg feed were therapeutically fed to C. jejuni colonized chickens, colonization was reduced by at least one-million fold. Treatments with viable probiotic bacterial cultures were, at best, only modestly effective in controlling C. jejuni in chickens. Our data suggests that bacteriocin treatment in live birds substantially controlled C. jejuni colonization and was far more effective than were treatments with the corresponding antagonistic probiotic bacteria.