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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 #337939
Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Relatedness of amylase-producing, endospore-forming bacteria from the alimentary tract of commercially processed broilers

Author
item Hinton Jr, Arthur
item Ingram, Kimberly

Submitted to: International Association for Food Protection Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2017
Publication Date: 7/9/2017
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Ingram, K.D. 2017. Relatedness of amylase-producing, endospore-forming bacteria from the alimentary tract of commercially processed broilers. International Association for Food Protection Proceedings. p. 2-56.

Interpretive Summary: none

Technical Abstract: Introduction: Competitive exclusion (CE) by bacteria from adult poultry reduces colonization of young chicks by Salmonella. CE might include the ability of these bacteria to breakdown complex carbohydrates to produce metabolites that inhibit Salmonella growth. Purpose: To isolate amylase producing, endospore-forming bacteria from poultry and determine the degree of relatedness between isolates. Methods: Bacteriological media was inoculated with cecal and crop contents from broiler carcasses and incubated at 35oC for 48 h. The incubated media was heated at 80oC for 10 min, plated on Bacillus Agar, and incubated at 30oC for 24 h. Amylase production was determined by growing the bacteria on starch agar, flooding the agar with iodine, and observing for clear zones around bacterial growth. Amylase-producing bacteria were identified using the Biolog Bacterial Identification System, and endospore production was confirmed by phase microscopy. The cellular fatty acid profile of the isolates was determined using the MIDI Sherlock Microbial ID System. The dendrogram program of the Sherlock System was used to determine the degree of relatedness between the isolates. Results: The isolates were identified as Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus niabensis, Paenibacillus provencensis, Paenibacillus borealis, and Paenibacillus tarimensis by the Biolog System. Dendrograms produced by the Sherlock System grouped these isolates into 3 species based on Euclidean Distances of 10 or less: 1) B. mycoides, B. pseudomycoides, and B. thuringiensis grouped as Bacillus cereus; 2) P. provencensis, P. borealis, and P. tarimensis, and B. niabensis were grouped as a species not in Sherlock’s library; and 3) B. pumilus alone. Significance: The degree of relatedness of the isolates provides information that can be used to characterize bacteria that may play a role in CE. These findings will be useful in selecting isolates for inclusion in defined probiotic cultures used to reduce colonization of poultry by Salmonella.