The Recent Trend in the Use of Multistrain Probiotics in Livestock Production: An Overview

It has been established that introducing feed additives to livestock, either nutritional or non-nutritional, is beneficial in manipulating the microbial ecosystem to maintain a balance in the gut microbes and thereby improving nutrient utilization, productivity, and health status of animals. Probiotic use has gained popularity in the livestock industry, especially since antimicrobial growth promoter’s use has been restricted due to the challenge of antibiotic resistance in both animals and consumers of animal products. Their usage has been linked to intestinal microbial balance and improved performance in administered animals. Even though monostrain probiotics could be beneficial, multistrain probiotics containing two or more species or strains have gained considerable attention. Combining different strains has presumably achieved several health benefits over single strains due to individual isolates’ addition and positive synergistic adhesion effects on animal health and performance. However, there has been inconsistency in the effects of the probiotic complexes in literature. This review discusses multistrain probiotics, summarizes selected literature on their effects on ruminants, poultry, and swine productivity and the various modes by which they function.

Intestinal microbiota and immunity. Possibilities of multistrain probiotics in the correction of immune status in children

On the basis of the analysis of foreign and Russian scientific studies the current data on the role of the intestinal microbiota in the formation of immunity and changes in its qualitative composition in the formation of various diseases are presented: For example, a decrease or absence of Helicobacter pylori is associated with bronchial asthma and reflux esophagitis in childhood, a change in Firmicutes/Actinobacteria ratio in psoriasis, and Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio in the gastrointestinal tract in obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases are accompanied by an increase in Enterobacteriaceae, functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract by a growth of Veillonella bacteria. The article shows the mechanisms of influence of the microbiota of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts on reducing the frequency of repeated infections by induction of antiviral defense genes, which in studies of probiotic therapy is confirmed by significant clinical effects. A discussion of the benefits of multistrain probiotics with comprehensive effects on the intestinal microbiota is provided. The importance of including probiotic strains in the complex therapy of acute respiratory infections is confirmed by the studies proving their positive effect on the child’s immunity, reducing the severity of the disease and the frequency of complications and relapses. The results of modern scientific research prove the importance of the optimal ratio of probiotic strains in the combination of lactoand bifidobacteria, as well as their strain specificity. The article presents information on a synbiotic created using an innovative protective technology of each sachet microgranule including a combination of 9 probiotic strains of lactoand bifidobacteria. The presence of fructooligosaccharide in the prebiotic component enhances the effect of the probiotic component.

New Multistrain Bacterial Consortium for Feed Probiotics

Introduction. Multistrain probiotics often include biocompatible strains, which leads to suppression of microbial viability and, as a result, decreases their efficacy. Therefore, new probiotics should be based on well-matched strains with no antagonism. Study objects and methods. The research featured strains of lactic and propionic acid bacteria from the VNIIPBT collection. The method of direct co-cultivation on dense medium (drop technique) was used to assess the biocompatibility of lactic acid bacteria. Antagonism was detected visually based on signs of suppression after 24 and 48 h after the onset of incubation. Antagonism of the consortia was assessed by the Romanovich method. Results and discussion. The screening resulted in seven promising strains with the specific growth rate of 0.32–0.84 h–1 and the maximum population density ≤ 2.2 billion CFU/cm3. A set of experiments on the strain adaptation mechanisms revealed combinations of strains with the lowest antagonism and competition for the substrate. The research resulted in a four-component consortium of Lactobacillus plantarum 314/8, Lactobacillus helveticus R0052/6, Enterococcus faecium B-2240D, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii 103/27. The optimal ratio was the one where the cultures were present in equal proportions. The study also described the biosynthetic properties of the consortium and the ratio of the strains in its composition. The consortium demonstrated a balanced growth, good strain compatibility, and absence of antagonism. The cultivation mode was tested anaerobically on milk whey at 37°C for 24 h (strain ratio = 1:1:1:1). Conclusion. The new consortium proved suitable for industrial production of feed probiotics.