Isolation and Probiotic Potential of Lactobacillus Salivarius and Pediococcus Pentosaceus in Specific Pathogen Free Chickens

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to isolate Lactobacillus salivarius and Pediococcus pentosaceus strains from cecal content and investigate their probiotic potential in specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens. L. salivarius and P. pentosaceus strains were isolated from the cecal content of SPF chickens and identified by 16s rDNA sequence analysis by BLAST analysis at the National Center for Biotechnology Information and phylogenetic analysis using DNAStar software. In an in vivo experiment, 180 7-day-old SPF chickens were randomly assigned into three groups. Group 1 served as a control that was fed a basal diet without probiotic supplementation, and groups 2 and 3 were fed the basal diets supplemented with L. salivarius and P. pentosaceus at 2×108 CFU/g, respectively. Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), dressing percentage (DP), and the apparent digestibility of crude protein (AD-CP) were calculated. We also determined meat color, fat content, shear force, water content and pH value of breast and thigh muscles; ammonia, urea nitrogen and uric acid content in plasma; fecal ammonia emission level and pH value; and Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli in ceca. Compared with the control group, L. salivarius and P. pentosaceus supplementation significantly increased BW, ADG, DP, AD-CP, fat content of meat, and the number of Lactobacillus in ceca (p<0.05), and decreased FCR, plasma ammonia content, fecal ammonia emission, and pH value and the number of E. coli in ceca (p<0.05). In the in vitro experiment, L. salivarius and P. pentosaceus treatments significantly decreased the ammonia content in medium compared with the control group without probiotic treatment (p<0.05). These results suggest that P. pentosaceus and L. salivarius strains show promising probiotic properties for improving growth, meat quality and microenvironment in chickens and decreasing ammonia content in the medium.