Development of probiotic formulations with immune enhancing activities for chickens

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Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host through improvements to the intestinal microbial balance (FAO/WHO, 2002). Several species of commensal bacteria, including some Lactobacillus bacteria have probiotic activities. Although their mode of action is not completely understood, these beneficial bacteria are an area of intensive research in both humans and farm animals. In poultry production, interest in probiotics stems from their use as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters and also as a strategy for control of intestinal colonization with enteric microbes that cause food-borne illness in humans, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. In particular, Salmonella contamination has been a major on-going threat to food safety and human health for decades. Probiotic bacteria can also influence the development of the immune system. However, a very limited number of probiotic products are currently available with proven immune enhancing capabilities in chickens. We have previously investigated lactobacilli for their immunomodulatory activities and developed a formulation containing several lactobacilli with the ability to enhance immune responses and reduce Salmonella burden in chickens. The proposed studies are designed to further evaluate this probiotic formulation and to determine its safety, route of administration, effects on growth, feed efficiency, immune system development and immune responsiveness of birds. Finally, we intend to test this formulation in a setting similar to that found in commercial poultry production operations.