Impact of succinate on growth of cultures of cecal bacteria from commercial broilers

Authors: Hinton Jr, Arthur; Ingram, Kimberly

Submitted to: Poultry International Exposition
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2015
Publication Date: 1/26/2016
Citation: Hinton Jr, A., Ingram, K.D. 2016. Impact of succinate on growth of cultures of cecal bacteria from commercial broilers [abstract]. Poultry International Exposition. 95(E-Suppl.1).

Interpretive Summary: none

Technical Abstract: Beneficial bacteria in probiotics produce and utilize several organic acids that may play a role in the ability of these bacteria to inhibit colonization of poultry by enteropathogens. Since cecal contents of adult poultry contain many of these beneficial bacteria, 3 experiments were conducted to examine the effect of succinate on the growth of bacterial cultures from cecal contents of commercial broilers. Three sets of ceca were taken from the processing line of a local poultry processing facility. Cecal contents were combined and mixed with 10 ml of sterile distilled water to produce a cecal slurry. Media containing (g/l) tryptose, 10.0; yeast extract, 5.0; sodium chloride, 5.0; beef extract, 2.0; and glucose, 2.0 was prepared and supplemented with 0, 50, 100, or 150 mM of sodium succinate. The media was inoculated with 0.1 ml of the cecal slurry and incubated aerobically at 37oC for 48 h. After incubation, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the cecal cultures were enumerated on agar media composed of the broth media ingredients, the same succinate concentration in which the cultures had been grown, and 1.5% Bacto agar. Inoculated agar plates were incubated aerobically or anaerobically at 37C for 48 h, colony-forming-units were counted, and isolated colonies were selected for identification with the Biolog Bacterial Identification System. Results indicated that succinate concentration of the media produced no significant difference in the number of aerobic or anaerobic bacteria recovered from the cecal cultures. Biolog identification indicated that there were differences in the bacterial flora of the cecal cultures from the 3 experiments and that the different incubation atmospheres selected for different cecal bacteria though the cultures had been incubated aerobically. Escherichia coli was the only aerobic isolate recovered in all trials, while Lactobacillus spp. were the most prevalent anaerobic isolates. Findings indicate that growing cecal cultures in media supplemented with succinate may not enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria. The addition of other supplements may be required to produce a medium that will support the growth of beneficial cecal bacteria required to formulate effective probiotic cultures.