V. Rada et M. Marounek, EFFECT OF MADURAMICIN AND MONENSIN ON SURVIVAL OF LACTOBACILLUS-SALIVARIUS 51R ADMINISTERED IN THE CROP AND CECA OF YOUNG CHICKENS, Archiv fur Tierernahrung, 50(1), 1997, pp. 25-29
A rifampicin-resistant Lactobacillus salivarius 51R was administered o
rally to newly hatched broiler chickens. The resistance to rifampicin
enabled us to differentiate the organism administered from indigenous
strains. One day after inoculation, Lactobacillus salivarius 51R domin
ated among lactobacilli in the crop and caeca of an inoculated chicken
s, even in those ones receiving maduramicin and monensin at 5 and 100
mg,per kg of feed mixture, respectively. Coliform counts in both crop
and caeca of inoculated chickens were significantly lowered on the fir
st day after treatment. Also, counts of the crop enterococci were decr
eased in inoculated chickens. Rifampicin-resistant lactobacilli were s
till present in high numbers in the crop and caecal contents of inocul
ated chickens sampled 5 days after inoculation. Differences in counts
of total lactobacilli, coliform bacteria, and enterococci were mostly
nonsignificant in these samples. Our results demonstrate that (i) bact
erial counts in the chicken gut were influenced by probiotic Lactobaci
llus administration, and (ii) chicken lactobacilli are resistant to io
nophore coccidiostats under ill vivo conditions.