Effect of Lactobacillus spp. mixed culture isolated from gastrointestinal tract of domesticated Japanese quail in combination with prebiotic on competitive exclusion of Escherichia coli

Probiotics are known to benefit the birds by improving their intestinal microflora balance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lab isolated Lactobacillus spp mixed culture, commercial multi-strain probiotic, prebiotic (FOS and MOS) and antibiotic growth promoter bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) on the crop, ileal and caecal flora of domesticated Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) reared under unstressed conditions. During the entire experimental duration of 35 days in quails, eight treatment groups were provided with different dietary treatments ie., T-1, T-2 and T-3 consisting of (1 g of fermented feed having 2x10⁶cfu Lactobacillus spp/g + prebiotics (both FOS and MOS) @ 1gm)/kg feed, (1.5 g of fermented feed having 2x10⁶cfu Lactobacillus spp/g + prebiotics (both FOS and MOS) @ 1gm)/kg feed and (2 g of fermented feed having 2x10⁶cfu Lactobacillus spp/g + prebiotics (both FOS and MOS) @ 1gm)/kg feed respectively. T-4, T-5 and T-6 consisting of 0.5 gm multi strain Probiotics + Prebiotics @ 1 gm/kg feed (both FOS and MOS), 1.0 gm multi strain Probiotics + Prebiotics @ 1gm/kg feed (both FOS and MOS), 1.5 gm multi strain Probiotics + Prebiotics @ 1gm/kg feed (both FOS and MOS) respectively. T-7 group was fed with basal standard feed only (Negative Control) and T-8 was fed Antibiotics (BMD 20gm/100 kg feed (Positive Control). Treatment groups were analysed for competitive exclusion of Escherichia coli organisms from the crop, ileum and caeca of GI tract of the birds. Enumeration of Lactobacillus spp. and E.coli was conducted at 14^th and 35^th day of feeding trial. At 14^th day of age, crop showed significantly (P<0.01) higher Lactobacillus count in diets (T-1, T-2 and T-3) supplemented with isolated Lactobacilli spp. culture. The E.coli count was significantly lower in all three parts of gut (crop, ileum and caeca) of T-2 group while it was on higher side in T-7, the negative control. E. coli count at 35^th day revealed that in crop significantly lower count was observed in T-2 with a significant higher count in T-7 and T-8. Similar finding was observed in ileum and caeca as well on 35^th day. The study result suggests that feeding of Lactobacillus spp. mixed culture isolated from GIT of quail increases Lactobacilli count in different parts of GIT of quail with concomitant decrease in pathogenic organism like E. coli. Thus it can be used as a potential quail specific probiotic agent.