PS-216 Spores Supplemented in Broiler Chicken Drinking Water Reduce Colonization and Increases Weight Gain.

is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, or campylobacteriosis, in humans worldwide, and poultry serves as a major source of infection. To reduce the risk associated with transmission via poultry meat, effective interventions during poultry production are needed, and the use of probiotics is a promising approach. In this study, 15 strains were initially screened for their anti- activities. PS-216 strain demonstrated the best anti- activity against 15 isolates when examined using co-cultures. To evaluate the suitability of PS-216 for probiotic use, its susceptibility to eight clinically important antimicrobials and simulated gastric conditions was investigated. PS-216 was sensitive to all of the tested antibiotics. Although vegetative cells were sensitive to gastric conditions, PS-216 spores were highly resistant. We further evaluated the use of a PS-216 spore preparation (2.5 × 10 CFU/mL water) to prevent and/or reduce colonization in broiler chickens . Compared to the untreated group, significantly lower counts were detected in caeca of broilers continuously treated with PS-216 spores in their drinking water. Furthermore, broilers continuously treated with PS-216 spores showed improved weight gain, compared to the control group. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of PS-216 for use in poultry to reduce colonization and improve weight gain.