EFFECT OF ADHERENT LACTOBACILLUS SPP ON IN-VITRO ADHERENCE OF SALMONELLAE TO THE INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS OF CHICKEN

Single strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lact. fermentum, isola ted from chicken intestine, were used to study in vitro interactions w ith Salmonella enteritidis, Salm. pullorum or Salm. typhimurium in an ileal epithelial cell (IEC) radioactive assay. Exclusion, competition and displacement phenomena were investigated by respectively incubatin g (a) lactobacilli and IEC together, prior to addition of salmonellae, (b) lactobacilli, IEC and salmonellae together, and (c) salmonellae a nd IEC, followed by the lactobacilli. Lactobacilli were selected for s tudy because of their strong ability to adhere to IEC and poor aggrega tion with salmonellae. The results demonstrated that Lact. acidophilus significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the attachment of Salm. pullorum to IEC in the tests for exclusion and competition, but not in the displac ement tests. Lactobacillus fermentum was found to have some ability to reduce the attachment of Salm. typhimurium to IEC under the condition s of exclusion (P < 0.08), competition (P < 0.09), but not displacemen t. However, both Lact. acidophilus and Lact. fermentum were unable to reduce the adherence of Salm. enteritidis to IEC under any of the cond itions.