ABSTRACT
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used as probiotics in poultry. The present study employed in vitro and in vivo methods to select and test LAB isolated from Muscovy duck ceca as potential probiotics. In the in vitro study, 50 LAB were isolated from Muscovy duck ceca and tested for growth inhibition against Salmonella (S.) Enteritidis. Eleven isolates strongly inhibited S. Enteritidis and only 1 isolate (MD5-2) showing the strongest inhibition was selected for identification. This isolate was called as Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri MD5-2. For the in vivo investigation, 90 1-day-old Muscovy ducks were randomly assigned into three groups of 30 animals each (group 1, control; group 2, treated with 108 colony-forming unit (CFU) of L. reuteri MD5-2 orally once on day 1; and group 3, treated with 108 CFU of L. reuteri MD5-2 orally once daily from days 1 to 5). The ducks were housed in three large cages and raised for 50 days, after which body weight, duodenal villus height and crypt depth were measured. Both villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio were significantly greater in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2. In conclusion, further investigation of L. reuteri MD5-2 as a potential probiotic strain is warranted.