Resistance of Enterococcus strains isolated from pigs to gastrointestinal tract and antagonistic effect against Escherichia coli K88.

Abstract

The intestinal flora plays an important role in health and wellbeing of different organisms. Indigenous microflora can be innocuous or pathogenic. Consumption of food supplemented with beneficial microorganisms as probiotics provides a good health state and this can be maintained and recovered. Currently, probiotic strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are widely used in humans as well as animals. Swine industry would benefit with the application of probiotics, mainly to overcome diarrheal diseases produced by different causes, as a pathogenic E. coli K88. The aim of this work was to isolate strains of Enterococcus from gastrointestinal tract of pigs to use them as probiotic. Two strains of E. faecalis, 2 of E. mundii and 7 of E. faecium were isolated with characteristics of resistance to acid pH, tolerance to biliary salts and a high antagonistic activity (>80%) against E. coli K88. Based on their characteristics and species affinity, we believe that these strains could be administered to pigs as a probiotic.