Pat. No.: 5,308,615; Date: May 3, 1994; Lab: College Station, TX
Inv.: Nisbet, D.J.; DeLoach, J.R.; Corrier, D.E.
Probiotic bacterial cultures administered to young chick are useful treatments to competitively inhibit pathogenic Salmonella bacteria in the intestinal tract of chickens and other poultry. The probiotic includes populations or cultures of substantially biologically pure bacteria, including at least one Lactobacillus species; one or both of Lactococcus lactis, and Citrobacter freundii; and at least one of: one or more Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, Propionibacterium and Escherichia species. The probiotic is administered to the fowl in an amount effective for inhibiting Salmonella colonization. The invention also pvovides a method for isolating probiotics which are effective for controlling or inhibiting Salmonella colonization of fowl, from fecal droppings or cecal contents of adult fowl. The droppings or cecal contents are combined with a culture medium and incubated without dilution (i.e. batch culture) under anaerobic conditions; the resultant culture is subjected to continuous flow conditions until a steady state is achieved; and the steady state culture may be recovered for use as a probiotic. Status - The USDA announced the licensing of competitive probiotic technology in June 1995 to Continental Grain Co., presumably on a nonexclusive basis. This licensing apparently involves this patent and/or another patent (5,308,615) by several of the same inventors. The licensed method involving spray or drinkng water administration of enteric bacteria derived from adult chickens to young chicks has been shown to reduce Salmonella contamination of carcasses from 90% to 10%.