USE OF NATIVE PLANTS FROM ARGENTINA TO CONTROL SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS IN POULTRY

JOAQUIM, P.E.; REDONDO, E.; BUSTOS, C.; BUCCI, J.S.; SALVAT, A.E.; FORTUNATO, R.H.; FERNÁNDEZ MIYAKAWA, M. E.; CHACANA, P.

Paris

Simposio; 2nd International Symposium on Alternatives to Antibiotics (ATA); 2016

World Organization for Animal Health

Salmonella infection is a major cause of bacterial enteric illness in both human and animals and poultry production is usually associated with the contamination of this food-borne pathogen. Among other measures, antimicrobials are traditionally used to control Salmonella which provides a selection pressure resulting in the preferential spread of resistant microorganisms, not only between Salmonella strains, but also among other species of Enterobacteriaceae. Therefore new alternatives to antimicrobials are needed to guarantee the food safety for the consumers. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of two additives based on native plants from Argentina to diminish the excretion of Salmonella Enteritidis in an experimental infection model in broilers. Groups of 15 chickens were fed from the first day of life with regular feed added with 0.1% of desiccated and ground native plants from Argentina, belonging to the family Leguminosae (plant 1) and family Anacardiaceae (plant 2). A control group of birds was also included. At day 6, chickens were individually challenged by oral gavage with 107 CFU of S. Enteritidis and individual samples were taken by cloacal swabbing at the 3rd, 7th and 12th day post-infection (dpi) to determine the excretion of the microorganism. Samples were enriched using tetrathionate broth and thereafter detection of the strain was done on XLD agar plates. At the 3rd dpi, 8/15, 0/15 and 2/15 birds respectively from control, plant 1 and plant 2 groups were positive for Salmonella. At the 7th dpi, Salmonella was isolated from 8/15, 3/15 and 5/15 birds of control, plant 1 and plant 2 group. Finally, at the 12th dpi, 7/15, 2/15 and 4/15 of the birds respectively from control, plant 1 and plant 2 groups excreted the pathogen. Both plants were effective to diminish the excretion of Salmonella, particularly during the first days after challenge; the effect of native plant 1 was more evident. In productive conditions, reduced excretion of Salmonella from infected animals at early stages is crucial to control contamination in the environment. Therefore, the use of these alternative natural products, combined with appropriate biosecurity management, may be a useful tool to diminish and avoid the use of antibiotics to control the pathogen in poultry and consequently to improve the food safety for the consumers.