Evaluation of an Industrial Soybean Byproduct for the Potential Development of a Probiotic Animal Feed Additive with Bacillus Species

Effect of feeding fermented distiller's grains diets on immune status and metabolomics of spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes in finishing cattle

To explore the effect of feeding fermented distiller's grains (FDG) diets on spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) immune status and metabolomics in finishing cattle, eighteen Guanling crossbred cattle (18 months old, 250.0 ± 25 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups: a basal diet (Control) group, an FDG-15% group, and an FDG-30% group (containing 0%, 15% and 30% FDG to partially replace the concentrates, respectively). After 75 days, the spleens and MLN were collected for detection of relative spleen weight, immune parameters, and metabolomic analysis. Compared with the Control group, FDG-30% group significantly increased (P<0.05) the relative spleen weight. In addition, the level of IL-17A in the spleen of the FDG-30% group was significantly higher than that of the FDG-15% group. Metabolomic analysis showed that differential metabolites (VIP＞1, P＜0.05) of spleen and MLN in FDG-15% and FDG-30% groups are mostly lipids and lipid molecules. KEGG analysis illustrated that choline metabolism in cancer, glycerophospholipid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and insulin resistance were metabolic pathways in spleen shared by FDG-15% group vs.Control group and FDG-30% group vs.Control group, and choline metabolism in cancer was a metabolic pathway in MLN shared by FDG-15% group vs.Control group and FDG-30% group vs.Control group. These results suggest that feeding FDG may promote spleen development by regulating choline metabolism in cancer, glycerophospholipid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and insulin resistance. Additionally, it may affect MLN development by regulating choline metabolism in cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Fermented distiller's grains (FDG) is a high quality alternative to feed because it is rich in beneficial microorganisms and nutrients. The spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) are important peripheral immune organs in animals, whose status reflects the health of the animal. However, there are few reports on the effect of feeding FDG diets on spleen and MLN immune status and metabolomics in domestic animals. In this study, we found that feeding FDG may promote spleen development by regulating choline metabolism in cancer, glycerophospholipid metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and insulin resistance metabolic pathways, and may affect MLN development by regulating choline metabolism in cancer. This study extends our understanding of the metabolomics of the spleen and MLN in FDG and helps to further understand of the immunomodulatory effects of the FDG diet.

Complete genome analysis of Bacillus velezensis TS5 and its potential as a probiotic strain in mice

Introduction

In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that Bacillus velezensis has the potential as an animal feed additive, and its potential probiotic properties have been gradually explored.

Methods

In this study, Illumina NovaSeq PE150 and Oxford Nanopore ONT sequencing platforms were used to sequence the genome of Bacillus velezensis TS5, a fiber-degrading strain isolated from Tibetan sheep. To further investigate the potential of B. velezensis TS5 as a probiotic strain, in vivo experiments were conducted using 40 five-week-old male specific pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: high fiber diet control group (H group), high fiber diet probiotics group (HT group), low fiber diet control group (L group), and low fiber diet probiotics group (LT group). The H and HT groups were fed high-fiber diet (30%), while the L and LT groups were fed low-fiber diet (5%). The total bacteria amount in the vegetative forms of B. velezensis TS5 per mouse in the HT and LT groups was 1 × 109 CFU per day, mice in the H and L groups were given the same volume of sterile physiological saline daily by gavage, and the experiment period lasted for 8 weeks.

Results

The complete genome sequencing results of B. velezensis TS5 showed that it contained 3,929,788 nucleotides with a GC content of 46.50%. The strain encoded 3,873 genes that partially related to stress resistance, adhesion, and antioxidants, as well as the production of secondary metabolites, digestive enzymes, and other beneficial nutrients. The genes of this bacterium were mainly involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, vitamin and cofactor metabolism, biological process, and molecular function, as revealed by KEGG and GO databases. The results of mouse tests showed that B. velezensis TS5 could improve intestinal digestive enzyme activity, liver antioxidant capacity, small intestine morphology, and cecum microbiota structure in mice.

Conclusion

These findings confirmed the probiotic effects of B. velezensis TS5 isolated from Tibetan sheep feces and provided the theoretical basis for the clinical application and development of new feed additives.

Endospore production of Bacillus spp. for industrial use

The increased occurrence of antibiotic resistance and the harmful use of pesticides are a major problem of modern times. A ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal breeding has put a focus on the probiotics market. Probiotic food supplements are versatile and show promising results in animal and human nutrition. Chemical pesticides can be substituted by biopesticides, which are very effective against various pests in plants due to increased research. What these fields have in common is the use of spore-forming bacteria. The endospore-forming Bacillus spp. belonging to this group offer an effective solution to the aforementioned problems. Therefore, the biotechnological production of sufficient qualities of such endospores has become an innovative and financially viable field of research. In this review, the production of different Bacillus spp. endospores will be reviewed. For this purpose, the media compositions, cultivation conditions and bioprocess optimization methods of the last 20 years are presented and reflected.

Dietary supplementation of Bacillus-based probiotics on the growth performance, gut morphology, intestinal microbiota and immune response in low biosecurity broiler chickens

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of Bacillus-based probiotics on growth performance, intestinal histo-morphology, gut microbial population and immune response in broilers. A total of 2000 Hubbard Classic day-old chicks were randomly enrolled in four experimental groups and 4 replicates of 500 birds in each group, and reared for 35 days under a low- level of biosecurity measures. The trial groups were assigned treatment-1 (T1): basal diet(control), treatment-2 (T2): basal diet plus Bacillus licheniformis (DSM17236), treatment-3 (T3): basal diet plus Bacillus subtilis (PB6), and treatment-4 (T4) basal diet plus 4% Flavomycin. All four groups were fed with maize-soybean based prepared feeds (starter, grower and finisher). Dietary inclusion of B. licheniformis significantly improved body weight gain and lessened FCR in T2 compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Probiotics increased the population of Bacillus spp. and decreased the population of Clostrium perfringens, Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli in the jejunum and ileum in broiler birds on day 21 and 35 (p < 0.05). The highest antibody production was observed in B. licheniformis treated group (T2) compared to other probiotic treated group (T1). Taken together, the study findings suggest that B. licheniformis probiotics could be used as a feasible alternative to antimicrobials in the broiler production considering beneficial impacts at low biosecurity broiler farms.

A Review of the Effects and Production of Spore-Forming Probiotics for Poultry

Simple Summary

Spore-forming probiotics are widely used in the poultry industry for their beneficial impact on host health. The main feature that separates spore-forming probiotics from the more common lactic acid probiotics is their high resistance to external and internal factors, resulting in higher viability in the host and correspondingly, greater efficiency. Their most important effect is the ability to confront pathogens, which makes them a perfect substitute for antibiotics. In this review, we cover and discuss the interactions of spore-forming probiotic bacteria with poultry as the host, their health promotion effects and mechanisms of action, impact on poultry productivity parameters, and ways to manufacture the probiotic formulation. The key focus of this review is the lack of reproducibility in poultry research studies on the evaluation of probiotics’ effects, which should be solved by developing and publishing a set of standard protocols in the professional community for conducting probiotic trials in poultry.

Abstract

One of the main problems in the poultry industry is the search for a viable replacement for antibiotic growth promoters. This issue requires a “one health” approach because the uncontrolled use of antibiotics in poultry can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which is a concern not only in animals, but for humans as well. One of the promising ways to overcome this challenge is found in probiotics due to their wide range of features and mechanisms of action for health promotion. Moreover, spore-forming probiotics are suitable for use in the poultry industry because of their unique ability, encapsulation, granting them protection from the harshest conditions and resulting in improved availability for hosts’ organisms. This review summarizes the information on gastrointestinal tract microbiota of poultry and their interaction with commensal and probiotic spore-forming bacteria. One of the most important topics of this review is the absence of uniformity in spore-forming probiotic trials in poultry. In our opinion, this problem can be solved by the creation of standards and checklists for these kinds of trials such as those used for pre-clinical and clinical trials in human medicine. Last but not least, this review covers problems and challenges related to spore-forming probiotic manufacturing.

Safety Evaluation and In vivo Strain-Specific Functionality of Bacillus Strains Isolated from Korean Traditional Fermented Foods

Unveiling and understanding differences in physiological features below the species level may serve as an essential fast-screening tool for selecting strains that can promote a specific probiotic effect. To study the intra-species diversity of Bacillus, a genus with a wide range of enzyme activities and specificity, 190 Bacillus strains were isolated from traditional Korean fermented food products. Altogether, in the preliminary safety screening, 8 of these strains were found negative for lecithinase and hemolysis activity and were selected for further investigations. On the basis of different levels of enzyme functionalities (high or low proteolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic (PAL) activities), two Bacillus subtilis strains were selected for an in vivo study. Each of the two strains was separately administered at a level of 1 × 10⁸ CFU per day to C57BL/6 mice that were fed 60% high-fat diet ad libitum for 8 weeks, while Xenical, an anti-obesity drug, was used as a positive control in the experimental setup. B. subtilis M34 and B. subtilis GS40a with low and high amylolytic activities, respectively, induced significantly different and contrasting physiological effects. The production of short-chain fatty acids appeared to be closely associated with a shift in the gut microbiota.

Fermented Duckweed as a Potential Feed Additive with Poultry Beneficial Bacilli Probiotics

In this study, the duckweed varieties Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza, and a commercially processed duckweed food supplement were investigated as potential substrates for the propagation of two probiotic Bacillus strains, B. subtilis KATMIRA1933 and B. amyloliquefaciens B-1895. Both L. minor and S. polyrhiza were found to be suitable substrates for the propagation of both bacilli, with 8.47-9.48 Log CFU/g and 10.17-11.31 Log CFU/g after 24 and 48 h growth on the substrates, respectively. The commercial duckweed product was a less favorable substrate, with growth reaching a maximum of 7.89-8.91 CFU/g after 24 h with no further growth after 48 h. Growth and adherence of the bacilli to the three products were confirmed via electron microscopy. These strains have demonstrated health-promoting benefits for poultry and thereby have the potential to enhance duckweed as an animal feed through the process of fermentation. Duckweed has been shown to be a promising alternative resource for protein and has the opportunity to become a valuable resource in multiple industries as a potential means to increase sustainability, food security, and reduce environmental impact.