Enterococcus faecium L-15 Extract Enhances the Self-Renewal and Proliferation of Mouse Skin-Derived Precursor Cells.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the gastrointestinal tract have beneficial health effects. LAB activate the proliferation of intestinal stem cells and speed the recovery of damaged intestinal cells, but little is known about effect of LAB on other adult stem cells. In this study, a cell-free extract of Enterococcus faecium L-15 (L15) was exposed to mouse skin-derived precursor cells (SKPs), and the changes in characteristics associated with proliferation and self-renewal capacity were investigated. L15 increased the size of the spheres and the proliferation rate of SKPs. Cell cycle analysis revealed that cells in the S-phase increased after treatment with L15. In the L15-treated group, the total number of spheres significantly increased. The expression level of pluripotency marker genes also increased, while the mesenchymal lineage-related differentiation marker genes significantly decreased in the L15-treated group. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was activated by L15 in SKPs. These results indicate that L15 enhances proliferation and self-renewal of SKPs and may be used as a supplement for stem cell maintenance or application of stem cell therapy. This is the first report to investigate the functional effects of E. faecium on the proliferation and self-renewal capacity of SKPs.

Enterococcus faecium supplementation in sows during gestation and lactation improves the performance of sucking piglets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Enterococcus faecium DSM 7,134 supplementation on the performance of sows and their litters. A total of 15 primiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into three treatments with five replicates. Dietary treatments were: CON, basal diet; E1, CON + 0.025% E. faecium; E2, CON + 0.05% E. faecium. No significant differences were observed on body weight and feed intake of lactating sows with E. faecium supplementation, but linearly increased the sow apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and gross energy (GE; p < .05), and decreased piglets pre-weaning mortality (p < .05). Piglets from E. faecium-supplemented sows linearly increased weaning weight, average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed ratio (p < .05), as well as linearly decreased diarrhoea score (p < .05) in the first weaning week. Piglets from E. faecium-supplemented sows linearly increased faecal Lactobacillus and Enterococci counts (p < .05), while linearly decreased faecal Escherichia coli counts (p < .05) after weaning. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of E. faecium improved the ATTD of DM, N and GE in lactating sows, as well as improved body weight, ADG and shifted faecal microbiota in their litters.

The impact of dietary supplementation of different feed additives on performances of broiler breeders characterized by different egg-laying rate.

This study was conducted to determine the impact of different feed additives on reproductive performance, egg quality, intestinal morphology, and blood metabolic profile of broiler breeder with different egg-laying rate. A total of 512 AA broiler breeders (48 wk old) were used in a 2 × 4 factorial design which encompassed 2 egg-laying rate levels [average (AR) and low (LR)] and 4 different dietary groups [control (no additive), 6 × 108 CFU/kg Enterococcus faecium (EF), 200 mg/kg apple pectic oligosaccharide (APO), and 1,000 mg/kg tributyrin (TRI)]. As expected, the LR breeders presented higher egg weight, eggshell thickness (P < 0.05), and feed conversion ratio as well as lower egg-laying and qualified egg rate than the AR breeders (P < 0.01). Dietary supplementation with the 3 additives improved egg weight (P ≤ 0.01). Dietary APO addition improved albumen height and Haugh units (P < 0.05) in both AR and LR breeders. Compared with APO and TRI, dietary EF addition increased eggshell thickness (P ≤ 0.01). An effect of the egg-laying rate and dietary additives on eggshell thickness (P < 0.01) was noted, with the addition of EF enhancing the eggshell thickness, which is more pronounced in the AR group. The duodenum of AR breeders presented a lower crypt depth and a higher villus/crypt ratio (P < 0.05); moreover, an effect of the laying rate and dietary additives on crypt depth was noted (P < 0.05), with the addition of APO to the diet resulting in a lower crypt depth. Compared with the APO and TRI, dietary EF addition increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level in serum (P < 0.05). Overall, the results gathered in this study indicate that LR breeders have lower production performance, eggshell thickness and decreased gastrointestinal tract functionality in compared with the AR breeders. Dietary supplementation with APO might improve albumen quality and decrease duodenal morphology, while EF improved eggshell quality and FSH secretion, and the improvement was more pronounced in the breeders with an average egg-laying rate.

Enterocin BacFL31 from a Safety Enterococcus faecium FL31: Natural Preservative Agent Used Alone and in Combination with Aqueous Peel Onion (Allium cepa) Extract in Ground Beef Meat Storage.

Safety aspects and probiotic properties of Enterococcus faecium FL31 strain producing an enterocin, named BacFL31 were previously demonstrated. Taking into account its originality, the enterocin BacFL31 was added alone at 200 AU/g or in combination with the aqueous peel onion (Allium cepa) extract (APOE) at 1.56 ± 0.3 mg/mL to ground beef meat. Its biopreservative effect was evaluated by microbiological, physicochemical and sensory analyses during 14 days at 4°C. The APOE was characterized for its phytochemical content: total phenolic (TPC), flavonoids (TFC) and tannins contents (TAC), its antioxidant capacity using the in vitro 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and its antilisterial activity. APOE had a high TPC, TFC and TAC respectively with 140 ± 2.05 (mg GAE/g), 35 ± 0.5 (mg QE/g) and 20.6 ± 1.4 (mg CE/g). Equally, APOE showed a potential radical scavenging activity compared to the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), with an anti-radical power (ARP) of 46 ± 1.5. During 14 days of storage at 4°C, the combination between APOE and BacFL31 limited the microbial deterioration (P < 0.05), led to a decrease in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values and slowed down the metmyoglobin (MetMb) and carbonyl group accumulation and delayed the disappearance of sulfphydryl proteins (P < 0.05). The combination was also efficient (P < 0.05) against microflora proliferation, decreased primary and secondary lipid oxidation (P < 0.05), reduced protein oxidation and enhanced significantly (P < 0.05) the sensory attributes. Thus, the enterocin BacFL31 use from a safe Enterococcus faecium combined with APOE as a potential natural preservative to biocontrol ground beef was promising as it was effective at low concentration. The data lay bases for new tests to be carried out in other food matrices.

Avi-Lution® supplemented at 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg in feed improves the growth performance of broiler chickens during challenge with bacitracin-resistant Clostridium perfringens.

Avi-Lution® is a defined, patented, synbiotic product containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Enterococcus faecium, and Bacillus spp. Broiler chickens (n = 1,250) were experimentally treated as uninoculated controls (uCon), inoculated controls (iCon) with Clostridium perfringens, or inoculated and treated with bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) at 55 mg/kg as an infected/treated control or Avi-Lution® at 1.0 (AvL1) or 2.0 (AvL2) g/kg in feed for 42 d. Each treatment was applied to 10 replicate pens of 25 straight-run, newly hatched chicks. Pens treated with AvL1, AvL2, or BMD showed improved growth, feed efficiency, or mortality from necrotic enteritis compared with iCon pens at d 14, 28, and 42. No differences in these measurements, however, were observed between pens treated with AvL1 and AvL2, which suggests that Avi-Lution® was effective at 1.0 g/kg in feed. Despite improved performance, BMD, AvL1, and AvL2 treatments did not decrease the severity of intestinal lesion scores through 42 d of age compared with the infected control. These results demonstrate that Avi-Lution® improved growth performance and feed conversion rates in broilers challenged with Clostridium perfringens despite no difference in severity of intestinal lesion scores.

Feeding of the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 differentially affects shedding of enteric viruses in pigs.

Effects of probiotic bacteria on viral infections have been described previously. Here, two groups of sows and their piglets were fed with or without feed supplementation of the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415. Shedding of enteric viruses naturally occurring in these pigs was analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No differences between the groups were recorded for hepatitis E virus, encephalomyocarditis virus and norovirus. In contrast, astrovirus was exclusively detected in the non-supplemented control group. Rotavirus was shedded later and with lower amounts in the probiotic piglet group (p < 0.05); rotavirus-shedding piglets gained less weight than non-infected animals (p < 0.05). Serum titres of anti-rotavirus IgA and IgG antibodies were higher in piglets from the control group, whereas no difference was detected between sow groups. Phenotype analysis of immune cell antigens revealed significant differences of the CD4 and CD8ß (p < 0.05) as well as CD8α and CD25 (p < 0.1) T cell populations of the probiotic supplemented group compared to the non-supplemented control group. In addition, differences were evident for CD21/MHCII-positive (p < 0.05) and IgM-positive (p < 0.1) B cell populations. The results indicate that probiotic bacteria could have effects on virus shedding in naturally infected pigs, which depend on the virus type. These effects seem to be caused by immunological changes; however, the distinct mechanism of action remains to be elucidated.

[Efficacy of enterocin S760 in treatment of mice with anthrax infection due to Bacillus anthracis M-71].

The therapeutic efficacy of enterocin S760, a broad spectrum antimicrobial peptide produced by Enterococcus faecium LWP760 was tested on mice infected with Bacillus anthracis M-71 to induce anthrax (second Tsenkovsky's vaccine). Intraperitoneal four-, two- or one-fold administration of the peptide in a dose of 25 mg/kg for 10 days for prophylactic (1 hour after the contamination) and therapeutic (24 hours after the contamination) purposes prevented or cured the infection in 90-100% of the mice versus the 100-percent lethality in the control (untreated animals). The antimicrobial activity of enterocin S760 against B. anthracis M-71 in vivo correlated with activity in vitro. Enterocin S760 is considered a novel promising antimicrobial for the treatment of grampositive and gramnegative infections.

[Effect of a novel soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium on bone tissue of rats]. / Efeito de um novo produto fermentado de soja, enriquecido com isoflavonas e cálcio, sobre o tecido osseo de ratas.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of soy fermented product intake on the corporal weight and bone tissue of ovariectomized mature rats. This product was fermented with Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus jugurti and enriched with isoflavones and calcium. The animals were divided in 5 groups: sham-ovariectomized; ovariectomized; ovariectomized treated with soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium; ovariectomized treated with soy fermented product enriched with calcium and ovariectomized treated with non-fermented product enriched only with calcium. In order to evaluate the effect of the tested product on bone tissue (femur and tibia), the following parameters were analyzed: length; mechanical assay of three points; density (Archimedes principle); mineral content; calcium content; measure of the trabecular widths. The corporal weight of group treated with soy fermented product containing isoflavones and calcium showed no statistical difference from sham-ovariectomized group and trabecular widths tended to have larger than ovariectomized group. However, there was no significant difference to the other evaluated parameters in result of the diverse treatments. Thus, soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium inhibited the increasing of corporal weight caused by ovariectomy and revealed a tendency to trabecular protection after castration.