The influence of mannan oligosaccharides, acidifiers and their combination on caecal microflora of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the dietary supplementation of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) extracted from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, acidifiers-calcium formate (CF), calcium propionate (CP)- and their combination on the caecal microflora of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Four hundred and fifty 1-day old quail where divided in six groups with three replicates each. One group that served as control received the basal diet. The five experimental diets consisted of the basal diet to which either 1 g MOS/kg, or 6 g CF/kg, or 6 g CP/kg, or 1 g MOS plus 6 g CF/kg or 1 g MOS plus 6 g CP/kg were added. The body weight was examined at weekly intervals and mortality was recorded daily. At days 21 and 42 of age, the total count of aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteriaceae and coliforms in the caecal content of one bird of each replicate was determined. Also, at day 42 of age, two birds of each replicate were slaughtered and their carcass weight was determined. The results showed that MOS significantly (P ≤ 0.050) increased the total aerobic plate and lactic acid bacteria counts on day 21. Furthermore, CP significantly (P ≤ 0.050) decreased the total aerobic plate and lactic acid bacteria counts compared to controls on day 21. Significant interaction between MOS and acidifiers was noticed on total aerobic plate count on day 21. No significant (P > 0.050) difference was found in the caecal microflora on day 42. Finally, no significant (P > 0.050) difference was noticed on mortality, body and carcass weight.

Growth of Aeromonas hydrophila in the whey cheeses Myzithra, Anthotyros, and Manouri during storage at 4 and 12 degrees C.

The fresh whey cheeses Myzithra, Anthotyros, and Manouri were inoculated with Aeromonas hydrophila strain NTCC 8049 (type strain) or with an A. hydrophila strain isolated from food (food isolate) at levels of 3.0 to 5.0 x 10(2) CFU/g of cheese and stored at 4 or 12 degrees C. Duplicate samples of cheeses were tested for levels of A. hydrophila and pH after up to 29 days of storage. At 4 degrees C, A. hydrophila grew in Myzithra and Anthotyros with a generation time of ca. 19 h, but no growth was observed in Manouri. In Myzithra, average maximum populations of 8.87 log CFU/g (type strain) and 8.79 log CFU/g (food isolate) were recorded after 20 and 22 days of storage at 4 degrees C, respectively. The average maximum populations observed in Anthotyros stored at 4 degrees C were 6.72 log CFU/g (food isolate) and 6.13 log CFU/g (type strain) and were observed after 15 and 16 days of storage, respectively. A. hydrophila grew rapidly and reached high numbers in cheeses stored at 12 degrees C. The average generation times were 3.7 and 3.9 h (Myzithra), 4.1 and 6.1 h (Anthotyros), and 8.0 and 9.2 h (Manouri) for the type strain and the food isolate, respectively. Among the different whey cheese trials, the highest A. hydrophila population recorded (10.13 log CFU/g) was in Myzithra that had been inoculated with the food isolate after 8 days of storage at 12 degrees C. To prevent A. hydrophila growth in whey cheeses, efforts must be focused on preventing postprocessing contamination and temperature abuse during transportation and storage.