Bioprospecting of probiotic bacteria producing bacteriocins and vitamins: from culture optimization to the application in poultry production system

Abstract

The use of probiotic microorganisms in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections in animals intended for human consumption has been considered an efficient alternative to the use of antibiotics. In addition, recent studies have been shown that specific biomolecules produced by these microorganisms, such as bacteriocins, vitamins, fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, enzymes, among others, improve of immunity and development of their host. The most commonly used probiotic microorganisms in the food and pharmaceutical industries are those belonging to the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group since they are regarded as safe by regulatory agencies in this area. However, it is known that the beneficial effects generated by probiotics are specific to each host and, frequently, the biomolecules of interest are synthesized in greater quantities by a given bacterial strain. In this context, the main objective of the present project is the isolation and identification of probiotic LAB present in the intestinal microbiota of poultry. Strains with high capacity to produce bacteriocins and B-complex vitamins (B2 and B9) will be selected. From this selection, compatibility tests will be carried out among the strains and, later, a mix of probiotic will be prepared. The strains will be individually micro-encapsulated and administered daily in the poultry diet in order to verify the probiotic effectiveness of the mixture. Synthetic bacteriocins will also be micro-encapsulated and administered to the poultry diet to understand their individual effect on animals health. (AU)