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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #371005

Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Evaluation of the impact of Alliin and Cinnamaldehyde application on cecal, crop and environmental Salmonella recovery at end of growout period of broiler chickens

Author
item LEPINE, ALEXIA - Orffa Additives
item WILSON, KIMBERLY - Orffa Additives
item Harris, Caitlin
item Bartenfeld Josselson, Lydia
item FAIRCHILD, BRIAN - University Of Georgia
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/2019
Publication Date: 12/16/2019
Citation: Lepine, A.F., Wilson, K.M., Harris, C.E., Bartenfeld Jossel, L.N., Fairchild, B.D., Buhr, R.J. 2019. Evaluation of the impact of Alliin and Cinnamaldehyde application on cecal, crop and environmental Salmonella recovery at end of growout period of broiler chickens [abstract]. Meeting Abstract. PH22:p.167.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Background. The final days prior to broiler transport is a critical time to reduce or eliminate foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Compounds such as allicin, deriving from garlic as well as cinnamaldehyde have shown to mitigate growth of gram-negative bacteria, including Salmonella. However, in vivo research implementing a combination of these compounds is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Alliin Plus (AP) product, a combination of freeze dried garlic and cinnamaldehyde, on reducing cecal, environmental and crop prevalence of Salmonella at the end of growout. Material and Methods. A total of 216 male broilers at 35 days of age were placed in one of the following treatments: 1) Control (CC), 2) AP in mash feed (AP-F), and 3) AP in drinking water (AP-W). Dosage of AP was 900 g per ton of feed or 1 g/L so that total expected daily intake per bird was equivalent for both treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicate pens with new litter (3 pens/room) and 12 birds/pen. A Salmonella Typhimurium (STM) challenge was performed 7 days post placement and all birds were gavaged with ~10^8 STM CFU. Impact of AP on STM challenge was measured in cecum. To this end, 4 birds/pen were removed and sampled on day 7 and 12 post-challenge (i.e. 14 and 19 days of treatment). On both these days, the litter surface of each pen was also sampled using intermittently stepped-on drag swabs. Furthermore, crop samples were collected on day 12 post challenge (19 days of treatment). Results. Although all litter was Salmonella-positive, AP-W at 14 days had the lowest prevalence (p=0.036) as there was no recovery of Salmonella with direct plating (>10^2 cells/mL sample). This was also observed with cecal recovery of STM that was, although not significant, reduced by over a log with the AP-W treatment (1.85 ' 0.51, p=0.470) relative to CC (3.07 log ' 0.48). Cecal recovery showed no statistical difference at 12 days post challenge. However, on day 12 post challenge crop recovery of STM in AP-W (0.23 ' 0.15) was lower than in CC (1.39 ' 0.64; p=0.174). Results were similar in AP-F group where cecal recovery on day 7 was lower than CC (1.49 log CFU ' 0.82; p=0.261) and crop recovery on day 12 was lower than CC (0.15 ' 0.15; p=0.133). These results suggest that garlic and cinnamaldehyde may reduce the prevalence of environmental and cecal colonized Salmonella prior to processing, therefore being an appropriate water or in-feed application at the end of grow out in broiler chickens. Future studies at larger magnitude and dose titrations are warranted.