18D-13 |
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S. N. THITARAM, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Univ. of Georgia, Food Science Bldg., Athens, GA 30602 and G. R. Siragusa, Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit, USDA-ARS-Richard B. Russell Research Center, 950 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 32604. Non-therapeutic antibiotic growth promotants (AGPs) are used for growth promotion and improving feed efficiency of food-producing animals. However, the use of AGPs has received attention as a contributory factor in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A prebiotic concept has been supported by evidence that many oligosaccharides, when fed to animals or humans can provide a carbohydrate substrate suited to the growth of probiotic bacteria such as bifidobacteria. Bifidobacterium are thought to create conditions unfavorable to the growth of pathogens, such as Salmonella. An increase in growth of Bifidobacterium with a decrease of Salmonella would appear to be of benefit to the host animal. The objective was to determine if the addition of isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) in the diet would increase the bifidobacterial population in chicken ceca. Broiler diets were prepared with IMO concentration (wt/wt) of 1%, 2%, 4%, and a control group without supplementation. One hundred twenty one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into four groups and provided the treatment diet. All groups were challenged with 108 cells of a culture of Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium 200 ug/ml nalidixic acid resistant (S. Typhimurium Nalr), after 7 days of placement. At day 21, qualitative and quantitative analyses of bacterial populations were done. The feed efficiency and bird body weight gain were determined. IMO supplemented diets (1%, 2%, and 4% IMO) resulted in significantly higher cecal bifidobacteria compared to the control diet (P<0.05). Chickens fed diets with 1% IMO had a significant 2 log reduction in the level of inoculated S. Typhimurium Nalr (P<0.05) present in the ceca compared to the control group. No difference in feed conversion and feed efficiency compared to a control group were observed. Feeding the optimum level of IMO supplemented diet to chickens will increase bifidobacteria level and may help reduce salmonellae colonization in the absence of prophylactic antibiotics.
Session 18D, Food Microbiology: General
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |