RESUMEN
Aims: An ecological study was conducted to investigate the diversity pattern of the lactic acid bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of Cemani chicken, a native Indonesian chicken, using a molecular approach based on 16S rRNA genes. Methodology and results: Digesta samples of seven chickens were collected for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. The molecular diversity of lactic acid bacteria in crop, ventriculus, ileum and cecum were determined. The results showed that microbial composition of lactic acid bacteria in cecum was relatively different with other upper gastrointestinal tract. Lactic acid bacteria phylotypes and diversity in ileum were higher than those in the crop, ventriculus, and cecum. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: We confirmed that cecum of native chicken has a different environment as compared to other gastrointestinal regions showing the lowest value of the Sorensen’s index. This first report of LAB diversity pattern in Cemani chicken contributes a more comprehensive understanding of the microbial ecology in the chicken.