ABSTRACT
Poultry litter is a potentially valuable crude protein feedstuff for ruminants but must be treated to kill pathogens before being fed. Composting kills pathogens but risks losses of nitrogen due to volatilization or leaching as ammonia. Treatment of poultry litter with ethyl nitroacetate, 3-nitro-1-propionate, ethyl 2-nitropropionate (at 27 µmol/g), decreased numbers of experimentally-inoculated Salmonella Typhimurium (>1.0 log10 compared to controls, 4.2 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/g) but not endogenous Escherichia coli early during simulated composting. By day 9 of simulated composting, Salmonella and E. coli were decreased to non-detectable levels regardless of treatment. Some nitro-treatments preserved uric acid and prevented ammonia accumulation, with 18% more uric acid remaining and 17-24% less ammonia accumulating in some nitro-treated litter than in untreated litter (18.1 ± 3.8 µmol/g and 3.4 ± 1.4 µmol/g, respectively). Results indicate that nitro-treatment may help preserve uric acid in composted litter while aiding Salmonella control.
Subject(s)
Composting , Animals , Escherichia coli , Manure , Nitrogen , Poultry , SalmonellaABSTRACT
This study reports the characterization of the microbial community composition, and the establishment and dynamics of a continuous-flow competitive exclusion culture (CFCEC) derived from gut microbiomes of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) specimens reared on aquaculture farms in Colombia. 16S rRNA gene amplicon Illumina sequencing was used to identify taxonomical changes in the CFCEC microbial community over time. The CFCEC was developed from adult tilapia from two farms in Colombia, and CFCEC samples were collected over two months. The pH varied from 6.25 to 6.35 throughout culturing, while anaerobic and aerobic cell counts stabilized at day 9, at 109 CFU mL-1 and were maintained to day 68. A variation in the CFCEC bacterial composition was observed over time. Cetobacterium was the most abundant in the first two days and coincided with a higher CFCEC supernatant antimicrobial effect against the fish pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae. Antimicrobial activity against S. agalactiae disappeared by day 3. Changes in bacterial composition continued to day 33 with Lactococcus spp. becoming the most abundant member of the community. In conclusion, the study of the CFCEC from intestinal tract of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed identification of predominant bacterial genera in the continuous-flow competitive exclusion culture exhibiting antibacterial activity against the fish pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae.
Subject(s)
Bacteria/classification , Cichlids/microbiology , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/veterinary , Streptococcus agalactiae/growth & development , Animals , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Bacterial Load , Bacteriological Techniques , Colombia , Fusobacteria/isolation & purification , Fusobacteria/physiology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Lactococcus/isolation & purification , Lactococcus/physiology , Microbial Viability , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
The gut microbiota has an important effect on poultry health and production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Colombian oregano (COO), Lippia origanoides Kunth, essential oil supplementation on broiler chicken performance and their cecal bacterial microbiome by 16S-based sequencing. Essential oil was extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Two COO levels in feed, 0 ppm control (C) and 100 ppm (O), were evaluated in 2 groups of broilers either unchallenged (U) or challenged (E) with a viable attenuated Eimeria (coccidia) oocyte vaccine. Four treatments, UC, UO, EC, and EO, were distributed among 720 one-day-old male Ross broilers randomly placed in 24 pens. Cecal contents DNA was extracted and pyrosequencing was performed following a standard procedure. Pyrosequencing data were processed, and sequence reads were phylogenetically classified. Similarity of membership and structure in the communities were calculated. At the end of the study, the greatest COO effect was found in coccidia-challenged broilers, with an OE body weight of 1,889 ± 52.4 g with respect to 1,799 ± 36.2 g for CE (P < 0.01). Broiler cecal samples were consistent in that phylum Firmicutes and class Clostridia were highly prevalent; COO had no effect on these taxa levels between the 4 treatments (P > 0.05). A positive correlation (P < 0.01) was observed between the Firmicutes:Bacteriodetes phyla ratio against body weight at 35 D of age. This study provided both positive and negative correlations between broiler body weight against some bacterial groups identified, offering perspectives regarding bacterial groups and their impact on host health and metabolism. Lippia origanoides Kunth high thymol content showed a beneficial effect on body weight and the feed conversion ratio in broilers under coccidia challenge.
Subject(s)
Chickens , Coccidiosis/veterinary , Eimeria/physiology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Lippia/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Poultry Diseases/parasitology , Animal Feed/analysis , Animals , Cecum/microbiology , Coccidiosis/parasitology , Colombia , Diet/veterinary , Dietary Supplements/analysis , Male , Random AllocationABSTRACT
Ruminal methanogenesis is a digestive inefficiency resulting in the loss of dietary energy consumed by the host and contributing to environmental methane emission. Nitrate is being investigated as a feed supplement to reduce rumen methane emissions but safety and efficacy concerns persist. To assess potential synergies of co-administering sub-toxic amounts of nitrate and 3-nitro-1-propionate (NPA) on fermentation and Salmonella survivability with an alfalfa-based diet, ruminal microbes were cultured with additions of 8 or 16mM nitrate, 4 or 12mM NPA or their combinations. All treatments decreased methanogenesis compared to untreated controls but volatile fatty acid production and fermentation of hexose were also decreased. Nitrate was converted to nitrite, which accumulated to levels inhibitory to digestion. Salmonella populations were enriched in nitrate only-treated cultures but not in cultures co- or solely treated with NPA. These results reveal a need for dose optimization to safely reduce methane production with forage-based diets.
Subject(s)
Fermentation/drug effects , Medicago sativa/chemistry , Microbial Viability/drug effects , Nitrates/pharmacology , Nitro Compounds/pharmacology , Propionates/pharmacology , Rumen/microbiology , Salmonella/metabolism , Animal Feed/analysis , Animals , Cattle , Nitrates/metabolism , Nitrites/metabolism , Phylogeny , Salmonella/drug effects , Salmonella/growth & developmentABSTRACT
Essential oils have been proposed as alternatives to antibiotic use in food animal production. This study evaluated 3 chemotypes of the Origanum genus, containing varying amounts of secondary metabolites carvacrol, thymol, and sabinene, in the broiler chicken diet. Aerial parts of Origanum vulgare L. (OL), O. vulgare L. ssp. hirtum (OH), and O. majorana (OM) were collected from a greenhouse located in the high altitude Sabana de Bogotá (Savanna of Bogotá) and O. vulgare L. ssp. hirtum (OG) produced and ground in Greece. Oregano essential oils (OEO) from these plants were obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Six treatments were evaluated: 200 mg/kg of OEO from OH, OL, and OM, 50 mg/kg of OEO from OG, 500 mg/kg of chlortetracycline, and without additives. Broiler chicks were maintained at 2,600 m above sea level, placed in brooder cages under a completely randomized design. Template DNA was isolated from duodenal, jejunal, ileal, and cecal contents in each group and bacterial 16S rDNA patterns were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Dendrograms of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis band patterns revealed 2 main clusters, OEO-treated chicks and nontreated control chicks, in each intestinal segment. Band patterns from different gut compartments revealed major bacterial population shifts in the foregut (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) compared with the hindgut (cecum and colon) at all ages evaluated (P < 0.05). The OEO groups showed less shift (62.7% similarity coefficient) between these 2 compartments versus the control groups (53.7% similarity coefficient). A reduction of 59% in mortality from ascites was seen in additive-supplemented groups compared with the control group. This study represents the first work to evaluate the effects of the 3 main chemotypes of Origanum genus in broilers.