EFFECT OF A DEFINED CONTINUOUS-FLOW DERIVED BACTERIAL CULTURE AND DIETARY LACTOSE ON SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM COLONIZATION IN BROILER-CHICKENS

A defined bacterial culture protective against Salmonella typhimurium cecal colonization in broiler chicks was derived utilizing a continuou s-flow (CF) culture apparatus. Chicks receiving the CF culture in comb ination with a diet containing dietary lactose were protected against cecal colonization by S. typhimurium. The culture consisted of a mixtu re of gram-positive and gram-negative facultative and strictly anaerob ic bacteria. The isolates were identified as Enterococcus avium, two s trains of Enterococcus faecalis (designated A and B), Lactococcus lact is, Lactobacillus animalis, a Lactobacillus that could not be identifi ed to species level (designated strain CMS), Citrobacter freundii Esch erichia coli, E. fergusonii, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Propionibac terium acidipropionici. Results indicated that CF cultures can be used as a tool to identify bacteria which are antagonistic to S. typbimuri um in the chick cecum.