Potentiation of the effect of a commercial animal feed additive mixed with different probiotic yeast strains on the adsorption of aflatoxin B1.

This study potentiates the adsorbent effect for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) of a commercial additive (CA) of animal feed, containing inactive lysate of three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, active enzymes, adsorbents and a selenium-amino acid complex, when the additive was mixed separately with three S. cerevisiae strains. Levels of AFB1 of 20 and 50 ng g(-1) were used to determine the binding capacity of different concentrations of CA alone and in the presence of yeast strains, as well as toxin desorption, under gastrointestinal conditions. The viability of yeasts in the presence of CA was evaluated. The results show that the CA did not affect the viability of the yeast strains assayed. CA alone showed a low percentage adsorption. At 20 and at 50 ng g(-1), CA was highly efficient in adsorbing AFB1 when combined with RC016 and RC012 strains respectively. Desorption of AFB1 by CA alone and in combination with the yeasts increased with increasing levels of CA. The results demonstrate the improvement of CA in AFB1 adsorption once it is mixed with live yeasts.

Inhibitory properties of Enterococcus spp. isolated from faeces of healthy dogs.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect by the cross-streak method of nine Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from faeces of healthy dogs and their treated and non-treated cell-free supernatant (CFS) by the well-diffusion test on the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated from clinical cases and aflatoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi and the consequent aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production. Results obtained from the cross-strake assay showed that E. faecium MF1, GJ18 and GJ40 presented the major inhibitory activity against all pathogenic strains assayed; E. faecium GJ40 produced the larger inhibitory zones (26-27 mm). Well-diffusion test results showed that the majority of the enterococci strains CFS had antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic microorganisms, especially on Gram negative indicators. Cell-free supernatant of E. faecium GJ40 was the one that produced the largest inhibition zones (14 to 21 mm) in the majority of the indicator microorganisms assayed. All supernatants treated with 10 N NaOH (pH6) showed no inhibitory effect on the indicator strain assayed. With respect to fungal inhibition, any of the CFS assayed significantly inhibited the Aspergillus strains growth. But, in general, all CFS reduced AFB1 production from 8 to 87%. The results demonstrate that enterococci isolated from healthy dog feaces produce substances with the capacity to inhibit some potential pathogenic bacteria growth and the capacity of inhibiting or reducing the AFB1 production in vitro.