By Pauline Rovers-Paap
Principal Relations Manager, Orffa Additives BV
Animal health and food safety are intrinsically linked to animals’ intestinal conditions and the composition of the microbiota. Gut pathogens can harm the animal itself, and different bacterial species are also associated with food safety and zoonotic disease. Beneficial bacteria, added to the diet as probiotic, are used to reduce potentially harmful bacteria in the digestive tract and improve the microbial balance in the intestine.
Calsporin® is a probiotic with a long history, during which extensive experience and knowledge have been gained. The product contains viable spores of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 and is known for its wide application in multiple animal species and categories. This article summarizes the studies on this specific probiotic strain, focusing on its influences on different gut pathogens in poultry.
Control of opportunistic pathogens in avian species
Numerous studies with Calsporin® in poultry diets resulted in a reduction or even exclusion of the most common pathogens, namely Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus cecorum, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella species (Figure 1).
Salmonella is the most well-known enteric pathogen in poultry. It is primarily associated with contaminated eggs and meat products, which are a significant source of human Salmonella infections.
S. Enteritidis and Typhimurium are serovars commonly reported in human salmonellosis cases. Enhancing the birds’ intestinal microbial diversity through the addition of the probiotic Bacillus subtilis C-3102, could explain the observed reduction of Salmonella, and more specifically these harmful serovars, in the gut of layers and broilers.
(adapted from Suganuma et al., 2021)
Following coccidiosis infections, Clostridium spp. frequently caused complications resulting in Necrotic Enteritis (NE). The damaged intestinal wall of broilers provides an ideal environment for the development of virulent strains of C. perfringens, causing even more severe lesions characteristic of NE. In practical trials and experimental research using NE models, the addition of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 resulted in decreased levels of C. perfringens, reduction of lesion scores and improved gut integrity. This leads to faster recovery of the birds, higher growth performance, lower mortality rates and fewer treatments needed to stabilize gut health.
Enterococcus cecorum is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria in bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), a costly disease which causes lameness in fast growing broilers. Maintaining gut health is crucial, as these bacteria can gradually permeate the intestinal epithelium, entering the bloodstream and triggering infections. In a university trial, the combination of yeast cell wall (MOS) and Bacillus subtilis C-3102 in broiler diets, delayed the onset of BCO and reduced its incidence by half.
Probiotics as insurance for gut health
In conclusion, it is crucial that the environment of the intestine is populated with a sufficient number of beneficial microbes and maintains good stability. Adding probiotics in the feed serves precisely this purpose, helping to stabilize the gut microbiota!