Different probiotic properties for Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from swine and poultry

Systematic procedures were used to evaluate the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) strains isolated from swine and poultry. The major properties included their capabilities to adhere to the intestinal epithelium of swine and poultry, the inhibition on pathogenic bacteria, and their tolerance to the gastric juice and bile salts. Results showed that L. fermentum strains from poultry digestive tract showed better adherence to the swine intestine and chicken crop epithelial cells as compared to those strains from the swine origin. In addition, six strains from poultry and one strain from swine showed adhesion specificity to their own intestinal epithelium. Four poultry isolates and one swine isolate were able to adhere to the epithelial cells from both swine and chicken. For gastric juice and bile tolerance, most of the strains isolated from swine or poultry were acid tolerant but less strains were bile intolerant. The spent culture supernatant (SCS) of these L. fermentum strains showed antagonistic effect against the indicator bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella sonnei and some enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus. From the above studies, some L. fermentum strains isolated from poultry were found to have the probiotic properties required for use in animal feed supplement. This study suggested that poultry digestive tract may serve as potential source for the isolation of probiotic lactic acid bacteria.