Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Unraveling Key Players of Humoral Immunity: Advanced and Optimized Lymphocyte Isolation Protocol from Murine Peyer's Patches
Published on: November 21, 2018
Isolation and Identification of Duck Intestinal Probiotics and Their Effects on the Production and Immune Performance
Zhigang Hu1, Zhuo Zhi1, Huiya Zhang1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of duck-derived probiotics added to drinking water on the production and immune performance of Pekin ducks. Two strains with good biological characteristics were isolated from the cecum of Pekin duck and identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) by species identification. Then, a total of 90 uniformly sized and healthy 7-day-old Pekin ducks were randomly divided into three groups (six replicates per group, five ducks per replicate). Ducks in the control group were fed the basal diet (control group), and those in the experimental groups were fed the basal diet and supplemented with 1 × 107 CFU/mL L. plantarum (LP group) and E. faecalis (EF group) in drinking water, respectively. The supplementation of L. plantarum and E. faecalis in drinking water could significantly improve the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) of Pekin ducks, as well as the live weight, eviscerated weight, half-eviscerated weight, breast muscle weight, and leg muscle weight (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the duodenal villus height, duodenal V/C (villus height and crypt depth ratio), and ileal villus height were significantly increased in LP and EF groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementing the L. plantarum and E. faecalis significantly improved the immune organ index and serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) content, and reduced the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) content (p < 0.05). They also significantly decreased the number of pathogenic bacteria in the cecum of Pekin ducks and increased the number of Lactobacillus sp. (p < 0.05). This study indicated that adding duck-derived L. plantarum and E. faecalis can improve the production and immune performance of Pekin ducks, as well as enhance the structure of their gut microbiota and protect intestinal health. These findings deepen our understanding of the functions of duck-derived probiotics and provide a foundation for their use as feed additives.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
Probiotics
Development of Human Microbiota
Microbiota of the Large Intestine
Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics

