Stability of viable lactobacillus products

A study was conducted to determine the viability of three commercially available lactobacillus products in non-medicated and medicated (lincomycin at 110 mg kg −1) feed stored for 3 months in five environments, these being: refrigeration (4°C), ambient temperature (21°C) in a sealed container, ambient temperature in an unsealed container, swine nursery (32°C) in a sealed container, and swine nursery in an unsealed container. Feed samples were counted for lactobacillus at Weeks 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 12, with four replications. The three commercial products differed in stability while they were maintained in teh various environmental conditions. Refrigerated storage prolonged ( P < 0.05) stability of all products. Products stored at ambient temperature were more stable than those stored in the nursery ( P < 0.05). The lincomycin medication had a slightly adverse effect on the product stability. There was little difference in stability between samples stored in sealed or open containers. These results demonstrate that the stability of viable lactobacillus products can be influenced by storage environment, length of storage and the type of medication in the feed.