Bacillus subtilis JA-ZK prevents Salmonella enteritidis colonization in chickens

Bacillus subtilis strain JA-ZK was assessed as a new probiotic in poultry by studying its ability to promote growth rate, to increase feed conversion efficiency, and- to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) colonization in chicks. In experiment 1, adding the probiotic to the feed was found to improve the growth rate and feed conversion efficiency in chickens. In experiment 2, chicks were fed 10E5 or 10E6CFU/g of probiotic. All groups were challenged per os with 10E3 SE on day 7. SE in the feces decreased in the chicks provided the probiotic. The 10E6 group in particular exhibited higher efficacy than the 10E5 group. In experiment 3, two trials were performed to evaluate prevention of SE colonization in chicks. Chicks were fed 10E6 CFU/g of the probiotic. All chicks were challenged per os with 10E3 SE on day 7. In both trials, the SE in the feces decreased significantly (p0.01) in the chicks provided the probiotic. These studies demonstrated that B. subtilis JA-ZK had positive effects on chicks as a probiotic and protected chicks against Salmonella.