Modulatory Impacts of Multi-Strain Probiotics on Rabbits’ Growth, Nutrient Transporters, Tight Junctions and Immune System to Fight against <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Infection
Marwa I. Abd El-Hamid,
Doaa Ibrahim,
Rehab I. Hamed,
Heba H. Nossieur,
Mariam Hassan Elbanna,
Heba Baz,
Ehab. M. Abd-Allah,
Amal S. A. El Oksh,
Ghada A. Ibrahim,
Eman Khalifa,
Tamer Ahmed Ismail,
Naglaa F. S. Awad
Affiliations
Marwa I. Abd El-Hamid
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Doaa Ibrahim
Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Rehab I. Hamed
Department of Poultry Diseases, Reference Laboratory for Quality Control of Poultry Production (RLQP), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Zagazig Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Zagazig 44516, Egypt
Heba H. Nossieur
Department of Poultry Diseases, Reference Laboratory for Quality Control of Poultry Production (RLQP), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Zagazig Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Zagazig 44516, Egypt
Mariam Hassan Elbanna
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Department of Biotechnology, Reference Laboratory for Quality Control of Poultry Production (RLQP), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Sharkia Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Ghada A. Ibrahim
Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Ismailia Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Ismailia 41522, Egypt
Eman Khalifa
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Matrouh University, Matrouh 51511, Egypt
Tamer Ahmed Ismail
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Turabah University College, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Naglaa F. S. Awad
Department of Avian and Rabbit Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
Multi-strain probiotics (MSP) are considered innovative antibiotics’ substitutes supporting superior gut health and immunity of farmed rabbits. The promising roles of MSP on performance, intestinal immunity, integrity and transporters, and resistance against Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) were evaluated. In the feeding trial, 220 rabbits were fed a control diet or diet supplemented with three MSP graded levels. At 60 days of age, rabbits were experimentally infected with L. monocytogenes and the positive control, enrofloxacin, prophylactic MSP (MSPP), and prophylactic and therapeutic MSP (MSPTT) groups were included. During the growing period, MSP at the level of 1 × 108 CFU/kg diet (MSPIII) promoted the rabbits’ growth, upregulated the nutrient transporters and tight-junction-related genes, and modified cytokines expression. Supplementing MSPTT for L. monocytogenes experimentally-infected rabbits restored the impaired growth and intestinal barriers, reduced clinical signs of severity and mortalities, and attenuated the excessive inflammatory reactions. Notably, enrofloxacin decreased L. monocytogenes and beneficial microbial loads; unlike MSPTT, which decreased pathogenic bacterial loads and sustained the beneficial ones. Histopathological changes were greatly reduced in MSPTT, confirming its promising role in restricting L. monocytogenes translocation to different organs. Therefore, our results suggest the use of MSPTT as an alternative to antibiotics, thereby conferring protection for rabbits against L. monocytogenes infection.
