Horses as a source of bioactive fecal strains Enterococcus mundtii.

Bacteriocin-producing bacteria with probiotic character are known as nutritional supplements mainly for livestock. Among those beneficial bacteria we also found enterococci. Because the species strains Enterococcus mundtii also can produce bacteriocins, this study was focused on fecal strains E. mundtii from horses and their bioactivity with a view to their possible future use in breeding. Rectal removal from 47 horses (40 mares and 7 stallions), the Norik breed from Murán were sampled in eastern Slovakia during November 2019 year. Horses age ranged from five months up to 23 years. Using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequences analysis, 14 strains were allotted to the species E. mundtii. Bacteriocin substances produced by the strains EMKD 38/1, EMKD 40/2, EMKD 34/2 and EMKD 41/3 showed inhibitory activity against the most susceptible (principal) indicator strain Enterococcus avium EA5 and against listeriae as well (inhibitory activity from 100 up to 1 600 AU/mL). Only strain EMKD 41/3 possess Ent P and Mundticin KS genes and showed the broadest inhibitory activity. Ent B gene possessing strain EMKD 24/1 inhibited a growth of only indicator strain EA5. Identified E. mundtii tolerate low pH 3 and oxgall/bile. They were hemolysis, gelatinase and DNase negative and mostly susceptible to clinical antibiotics which are properties requested for application potential of strain. Substance from the strain with the broadest antimicrobial spectrum showed its practical/application potential, e.g. for optimizing the host microbiota which is important regarding the maintenance of animal`s health status.

Adherence of bacteria to mucus collected from different parts of the reproductive tract of heifers and cows.

In the present study, we examined the adherence of indigenous vaginal bacteria, probiotic strains, and metritis pathogens to mucus collected from different parts of the reproductive tracts of heifers and cows and compared their adherence with the bacterial adherence to mucus collected from the stomach and large intestine of pigs. Most of the vaginal strains adhered to mucus collected from different parts of the reproductive tract and strongly adhered to gastric mucus, with the exception of Lactobacillus buchneri 24S8. Only Lactobacillus mucosae 29S8, Enterococcus faecium E21, and E. faecium EAC adhered to colonic mucus. Probiotic strains adhered strongly to mucus collected from the reproductive tract and gastric mucus but did not adhere to colonic mucus. Pathogenic strains were adherent to vaginal, uterine horn, and gastric mucus, except Escherichia coli O8:K88ab:H9 (65), Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Gardnerella vaginalis, which adhered to uterine cervix mucus. Only Kocuria kristinae and G. vaginalis adhered to uterine body mucus; E. coli O149:K88ac (EC) adhered to colonic mucus. The strains did not exhibit host specificity but rather strain specificity. The ability to adhere to mucus was a characteristic unique to each strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding in vitro adherence of GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) lactobacilli isolated from different sources to mucus collected from different parts of the reproductive tract.