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DIMORFIPA, University of Bologna, 40064, Bologna, Italy
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the effects of pediocin A (a bacteriocin produced by lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus FBB61) on microbial metabolism in the small and large intestine of pigs. Pediocin A was partially purified by ion exchange chromatography and added to an in vitro fermentation system. The intestinal inoculum was collected from pigs immediately after slaughter, diluted with a buffer, and dispensed into fermentation syringes and vessels of the 2 experimental groups: 1) Bac+ = cecal liquor + predigested diet + pediocin A (final concentration 160 activity units/ml); 2) Bac- = cecal liquor + predigested diet + partially purified supernatant of P. pentosaceus FBB61-2. Intestinal microbial growth was monitored using the cumulative gas production technique; the kinetics of fermentation, bacterial counts, VFA, ammonia, polyamines and p-cresol production were analyzed. Pediocin A had almost no effects on small intestine fermentation parameters; whereas, in the cecum it decreased gas production (-16%; P < 0.05), ammonia, and VFA production (-52% and -21%, respectively, after 24 h; P < 0.001) compared to the control group. Significant inhibition of both clostridia and lactic acid bacteria occurred in cecal fermentations: Bac+ group yielded a decreased number of clostridia and LAB in cecal fermentations (8.19 and 7.80 cfu/mL, respectively) compared to Bac- (9.32 and 8.95 cfu/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). The low clostridia counts in the pediocin treated group may also explain the reduced concentration of the carcinogenic compound p-cresol (-88%; P < 0.01). Our results suggest that pediocin A could be an alternative to replace antibiotic growth promoters for the prophylaxis of enteric diseases and to improve production of farm animals.
Key Words: antibiotic growth promoters bacteriocins cresol intestinal fermentations pigs polyamines
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E. Grilli, M. R. Messina, E. Catelli, M. Morlacchini, and A. Piva Pediocin A improves growth performance of broilers challenged with Clostridium perfringens Poult. Sci., October 1, 2009; 88(10): 2152 - 2158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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