Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 - Gut-flora stabilizer for sustainable broiler production

Dysbacteriosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota, impairs nutrient absorption and growth in broilers. Severe cases can cause wet litter and high mortality. AGPs have long been used to enhance gut health and performance, but their prolonged use raises concerns over antimicrobial resistance in birds and humans. Removing AGPs from broiler diets has reduced performance and increased gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases. To mitigate the impact of AGP-free diets on broiler performance, various nutritional strategies have been adopted globally. Probiotics are a promising alternative, improving gut microbiome stability, reducing GIT diseases, and enhancing performance.

BA 5940 is a natural spore-forming strain that produces secondary metabolites and lactic acid, which can influence interactions between different bacterial populations in the gut. BA 5940 modulates gut microbiota and immunity, potentially improving bird health and profitability in poultry production.

Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism based on signaling molecules that allows microbes to act  almost like a multicellular organism, enabling them to adapt more effectively to their environment and regulate biofilm formation and virulence in the host. One such known “communicator” molecule is N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL). Blocking such communication among these opportunistic bacteria is known as quorum quenching. BA 5940 can degrade AHL which falls under the quorum quenching mechanism, thereby minimizing the negative impact of pathogenic bacteria on gut health.

BA 5940 produces wide-variety of antimicrobial metabolites, such as macrolactins, Surfactin C, bacillaene, bacilysin, difficidin, bacilibactin, fengycin, iturin and plantozolicin,  of which macrolactins, surfactin C, bacillaene, and bacilysin are of significance. Bacillaene is involved in inhibition of Cl. perfringens, Salmonella enteritidis and E. coli. Bacilysin and surfactin is also involved in inhibition of Cl. Perfringens.

iii) Lactic acid production

BA 5940 favors production of lactic acid and is known to be an effective mechanism to reduce pathogen loads in the gut. Lactic acid is utilized by butyrate producers through cross-feeding mechanism resulting in high butyric acid production in gut and also enhances resistance to enteropathogenic bacteria.

A trial was conducted in a commercial farm in Thailand using 242,880 Cobb 500 broilers (0-42 days) comprising of 2 treatments: 1) Control (CONT) and 2) BA 5940 supplemented in drinking water. In CONT  group, Tylosin and Amoxicillin were added in drinking water during d 2 to 6 and d 9 to 11 as a prophylactic medication, respectively. In BA 5940 group, birds were offered drinking water daily which was antibiotic-free and supplemented with probiotic (BA 5940) at the rate of 50 g per 1000 L water (at a concentration of 1×10¹⁰ Colony forming unit (CFU)/g). Results demonstrated the final BW in BA 5940 fed birds was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in CONT (Fig 1). The BA 5940 birds had improved FCR compared with CONT (1.733 vs. 1.805). European performance index in BA 5940 group was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than CONT group (354 vs. 315). Intestinal lesions and also sloughing with mucous exudate were predominantly found in broilers fed CONT, whereas, intestinal lesions were relatively lower for BA group broilers  (Fig 2).

In conclusion, the usage of probiotic (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940) improves broiler performance by improve intestinal health in the broiler.