Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>

The continuous use of antibiotics is associated with many complications in the poultry industry. Probiotics have emerged as a viable alternative over the past few decades to counter the adverse effects of antibiotics. No candidate probiotic microorganisms have been fully evaluated in the poultry ind...

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Main Authors: Sarayu Bhogoju, Thyneice Taylor-Bowden, Collins N. Khwatenge, Samuel N. Nahashon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Bacteria
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/1/13
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author Sarayu Bhogoju
Thyneice Taylor-Bowden
Collins N. Khwatenge
Samuel N. Nahashon
author_facet Sarayu Bhogoju
Thyneice Taylor-Bowden
Collins N. Khwatenge
Samuel N. Nahashon
author_sort Sarayu Bhogoju
collection DOAJ
description The continuous use of antibiotics is associated with many complications in the poultry industry. Probiotics have emerged as a viable alternative over the past few decades to counter the adverse effects of antibiotics. No candidate probiotic microorganisms have been fully evaluated in the poultry industry for their effectiveness as potential probiotics in guinea fowls (GFs) compared to chickens. Recently, a metagenome evaluation of GFs in our laboratory revealed a predominance of <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> (<i>L. reuteri</i>) and actinobacteria class of bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to evaluate a well-known lactic acid probiotic bacterium (<i>L. reuteri</i>) and a unique probiotic (<i>S. coelicolor</i>) that has not been assessed in any guinea fowl species. In the current study, <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i> (<i>S. coelicolor</i>) were selected as probiotic bacteria, encapsulated, and added into French guinea fowl (FGF) feed individually at a concentration of 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g or both microorganisms combined each at 10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g. In an 8-week study, 216-day-old guinea keets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments as indicated: (1) <i>L. reuteri</i> (10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g); (2) <i>S. coelicolor</i> (10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g); (3) mixture of <i>L. reuteri</i> (10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g) and <i>S. coelicolor</i> (10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g); and (4) control treatment (no probiotics included). The <i>L. reuteri</i>, <i>S. coelicolor</i>, and <i>L. reuteri + S. coelicolor</i> were added into the feed using wheat middlings as a carrier at a final concentration of 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g. The FGFs that were fed diets containing <i>L. reuteri</i> showed improved feed consumption at 3–8 weeks of age (WOA). The guineas fed <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>S. coelicolor</i> showed a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), which was significant at 2 and 8 WOA, and a numerically lower 8-week average FCR when compared with other dietary treatments. Differences in body weight gain among all dietary treatments were not significant. This research suggests that <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>S. coelicolor</i> may have the potential for use as probiotics in FGFs when used in combination or separately.
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spelling doaj-art-4e772bc3dd844363bb44b63efbcff33c2025-08-20T02:11:12ZengMDPI AGBacteria2674-13342025-03-01411310.3390/bacteria4010013Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>Sarayu Bhogoju0Thyneice Taylor-Bowden1Collins N. Khwatenge2Samuel N. Nahashon3College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USACollege of Agriculture, Science & Technology, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USADepartment of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USAThe continuous use of antibiotics is associated with many complications in the poultry industry. Probiotics have emerged as a viable alternative over the past few decades to counter the adverse effects of antibiotics. No candidate probiotic microorganisms have been fully evaluated in the poultry industry for their effectiveness as potential probiotics in guinea fowls (GFs) compared to chickens. Recently, a metagenome evaluation of GFs in our laboratory revealed a predominance of <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> (<i>L. reuteri</i>) and actinobacteria class of bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to evaluate a well-known lactic acid probiotic bacterium (<i>L. reuteri</i>) and a unique probiotic (<i>S. coelicolor</i>) that has not been assessed in any guinea fowl species. In the current study, <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i> (<i>S. coelicolor</i>) were selected as probiotic bacteria, encapsulated, and added into French guinea fowl (FGF) feed individually at a concentration of 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g or both microorganisms combined each at 10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g. In an 8-week study, 216-day-old guinea keets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments as indicated: (1) <i>L. reuteri</i> (10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g); (2) <i>S. coelicolor</i> (10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g); (3) mixture of <i>L. reuteri</i> (10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g) and <i>S. coelicolor</i> (10<sup>4</sup> cfu/g); and (4) control treatment (no probiotics included). The <i>L. reuteri</i>, <i>S. coelicolor</i>, and <i>L. reuteri + S. coelicolor</i> were added into the feed using wheat middlings as a carrier at a final concentration of 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g. The FGFs that were fed diets containing <i>L. reuteri</i> showed improved feed consumption at 3–8 weeks of age (WOA). The guineas fed <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>S. coelicolor</i> showed a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), which was significant at 2 and 8 WOA, and a numerically lower 8-week average FCR when compared with other dietary treatments. Differences in body weight gain among all dietary treatments were not significant. This research suggests that <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>S. coelicolor</i> may have the potential for use as probiotics in FGFs when used in combination or separately.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/1/13guinea fowlgrowth performanceprobiotics<i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i><i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
spellingShingle Sarayu Bhogoju
Thyneice Taylor-Bowden
Collins N. Khwatenge
Samuel N. Nahashon
Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
Bacteria
guinea fowl
growth performance
probiotics
<i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i>
<i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title_full Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title_fullStr Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title_full_unstemmed Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title_short Growth Performance of French Guinea Fowl Broilers Fed the Probiotics <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> and <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
title_sort growth performance of french guinea fowl broilers fed the probiotics i lactobacillus reuteri i and i streptomyces coelicolor i
topic guinea fowl
growth performance
probiotics
<i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i>
<i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1334/4/1/13
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