Applicants sought for Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize

NOREL S.A. is proud to announce the new edition of the Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize, which aims at rewarding young researchers for their innovative and significant contributions to probiotic research in animal nutrition. An active member of the European Probiotic Association, NOREL bestows two prizes worth 1500 € (US$1645) will be awarded on best evaluation of probiotic efficacy. It honors young scientists from all countries working on probiotics with a Ph.D. or Master’s Thesis published in 2014/2016.
Scientific works should contain innovative concepts, practical applications, or advanced knowledge of mechanisms of action in the field of probiotics for animal feeding. The areas of recognized expertise are nutrition, physiology, microbiology and immunity. The Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize will be granted during Eurotier in Hannover, Nov. 15-18, 2016. For further information and application form, please visit http://asso-epa.com/presentation-jules-tournut/ or send a dossier to the EPA Secretary General at secretarygeneral@asso-epa.org

EPA announces 2016 edition of Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize

The European Probiotic Association (EPA) has announced the new edition of the Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize. One of the commitments of EPA, in line with the vision of Professor Jules TOURNUT, is to promote these beneficial microorganisms, by encouraging the publication of articles and scientific papers. The Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize aims at rewarding young researchers for their innovative and significant contribution to probiotic research in animal nutrition.
The Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize is awarded every two years, after an evaluation made by a Scientific Committee composed of independent international scientists. For the 2016 edition two prizes worth 1500 € will be awarded: one for scientific excellence and another for innovative industrial application.
The prizes will be granted during Eurotier in Hannover, Nov. 15-18, 2016, and the winners will be invited to present their work at a press conference during this key event
This Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize is addressed to young scientists from all countries working on probiotics with a PhD or Master Thesis published in 2014/2016. Scientific works should involve innovative concepts, practical applications, or advanced knowledge of mechanisms of action in the field of probiotics for animal feeding. Areas of recognized expertise are nutrition, physiology, microbiology and immunity.
Further information and application form can be found on http://asso-epa.com/presentation-jules-tournut/ or by contacting the EPA Secretary General at secretarygeneral@asso-epa.org. Deadline for application is Feb. 29, 2016.
The European Probiotic Association is the association of producers and distributors of probiotics that are authorized in Europe.

Adisseo and Novozymes enter partnership in probiotics for animals

Adisseo and Novozymes, two global leaders in the animal nutrition and feed additive industry, have announced a partnership to develop and market a probiotic for poultry. Novozymes will be responsible for in-vitro screening, development and production, while Adisseo will manage in-vivo testing, marketing and sales. The partners expect to launch the product within the next 12 months.
“The world needs new solutions to feed a growing global population in a sustainable way. We are developing a probiotic that can help farmers meet that need,” says Helle Warrer Poulsen, Vice President of Animal Health & Nutrition at Novozymes. “We are excited to partner with Adisseo, who shares our vision of bringing innovation and science to the field of probiotics and offers great expertise and capabilities in feed additives. It is a promising new area for Novozymes where we can leverage our know-how in microbiology, fermentation and animal feed.
“Innovation is part of Adisseo’s DNA and we are constantly investing, either organically or through strategic partnerships, in new solutions to help our customers optimize livestock performance while reducing environmental impact,” says Jean-Marc Dublanc, CEO of Adisseo. “The decision to enlarge our specialty portfolio with probiotics was therefore a natural one, as was the choice of Novozymes as our partner.”
Alternative to antibiotic growth promoters
For decades, antibiotics have been widely used in animal production to help livestock grow, but more and more countries are now banning non-medicinal use as part of strategies to tackle resistance to antibiotic treatments in humans. Consumer-driven curbs on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters have further increased the demand for sustainable alternatives in animal farming.
Probiotics are naturally-occurring live microbes added to feed to improve the gut flora of pigs, poultry and other animals. They improve animal growth and feed utilization and have associated health benefits, thereby providing a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.
Novozymes and Adisseo’s new product will be based on beneficial bacteria that promote weight gain and limit development of unwanted bacteria in the animal’s digestive tract. By using the product, farmers will better control gut health of their animals and achieve an improved feed conversion, meaning less feed consumed to raise an animal. The product will be tailored for poultry, while the partners will explore future opportunities to expand into probiotics for both poultry and swine.
The partnership brings together global players with a solid tract record in developing high performance feed additives who share an ambition to enter and develop the market for probiotics. Novozymes will leverage its technology base, proven in enzymes and microbes, and Adisseo brings a unique expertise in amino acids, vitamins, feed enzymes and other feed solutions.

Jules Tournot Probiotics prize awarded at EuroTier

Work on The Evolution of Host Specificity in the Vertebrate Gut Symbiont, Lactobacillus reuteri was awarded the Jules Tournot Probiotics Prize 2014 by the European Probiotics Association at 2014 EuroTier.
Steven A. Frese, of the University of California, was present to receive the award and talked attendees through his work.
Lactobacillus reuteri is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry, pigs, and rats, among other species, he explained. The organism has evolved to be host specific and different strains have different qualities. For example, strains found in the gastrointestinal tract of chickens tend to have greater antimicrobial qualities, while the strain more commonly found in the human gastrointestinal tract has greater anti-inflammatory qualities.
The study was the first time that host-specificity had been demonstrated, and the importance of the study is that using the approach followed by Frese in the study could allow the more careful of selection of bacteria for use in future probiotic products.
Growing interest
This year saw a higher number of submissions than the last time the award was made in 2012. Of the 19 entries, 12 were selected for further consideration. Applications came from 10 countries ranging from Chile to China and the UK to the U.S. Target animals in the studies included poultry, fish and cattle, with end points ranging from protection against disease, rumen fermentation, and immune-regulation.
Interest in research into probiotics is growing year by year, and more bacteria strains were considered in this year’s submissions than ever before.
During the presentation of the award, it was noted that the European regulatory framework for probiotics used in production animals needs to change, as there are claims that cannot be made commercially, despite work having done to support such claims.
The organizers further noted that when interest in use of probiotics in animal agriculture first emerged, their use and perception primarily followed the model of growth promoters. Thinking since then, however, has evolved as the potential role for their use in livestock production continues to grow.

New bacteria strains may be used as probiotics in poultry

Researchers in Malaysia have identified three new strains of bacteria that show good potential as probiotics for poultry production.
In a study published in the Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, the research team reported that all three strains – which belong to the species Lactobacillus salivarius – would probably be able to survive and colonize the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of chickens: they exhibited good tolerance to acid, bile and pancreatic enzymes as well as a strong ability to adhere to the intestinal wall.
For more than 50 years, antibiotics have been routinely used to prevent or control poultry diseases and to promote growth and feed efficiency. But due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Europe has banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters for poultry production while some countries, such as the United States, are considering a ban. As a result, there is growing interest in developing alternatives, such as probiotics – defined as live microbial feed supplements that beneficially affect a host animal by improving its intestinal balance.
However, many potential probiotic products have been marketed without proper studies, giving rise to problems of inconsistent efficacy. In 2001, the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization issued guidelines for evaluating probiotics in food which recommended that every potential probiotic strain must be correctly identified and tested for safety and efficacy.
With a long history of use as probiotics in the food industry, Lactobacillus bacteria are “generally recognized as safe.” They are commonly found in the environment as well as the normal microflora of the GI tract of animals. In this study, Y. W. Ho and colleagues at the Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Universiti Teknologi MARA isolated, identified and assessed Lactobacillus strains from chicken intestines, with a view to selecting potential probiotics. Out of 42 isolated strains, three Lactobacillus salivarius strains demonstrated a high tolerance of stress conditions in the GI tract and a good capacity to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells. The authors recommend that further studies be undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of these strains in host animals.

Perdue Farms: Probiotics effective in keeping chickens healthy

Using probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics in poultry production has proven to be effective in keeping chickens healthy, according to Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, senior vice president of food safety, quality and live operations at Perdue Farms.
While the company still uses antibiotics in some flocks to control parasites and treat illnesses, it has reduced its use of antibiotics. Perdue Foods has removed all antibiotics from its chicken hatcheries. The company also stopped using antibiotics for growth-promotion purposes and offers no-antibiotics-ever brands Coleman Natural and Harvestland. To replace antibiotics, the company has looked at probiotics.
"As we took antibiotics out of the feed, we put some other things in, such as probiotics," Stewart-Brown told North Carolina Public Radio. "We've increased the amount of probiotics by five times over the past five years. It's a significant part of our program."
Probiotics, a form of bacteria, can crowd out harmful microbes that cause a chicken to be sick.
Stewart-Brown admitted he was once skeptical about the use of probiotics. While probiotics are a more expensive means of keeping birds healthy, he said they are effective, as chickens that were administered probiotics stayed healthier and grew faster than those that had not been treated with probiotics.
"Eight years ago, I would have said that they're not working in poultry. They're not very useful. Today, I'm saying that they are useful. Expensive, but useful,” he said.

Hatchery-applied probiotics can improve broiler performance

“Normal intestinal villus development is entirely dependent upon colonization by pioneer colonizers,” said Dr. William Hargis, sustainable poultry health chair, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas. Providing broiler chicks with a large enough quantity of beneficial bacteria to colonize the birds' guts shortly after hatch also allows for normal intestinal acquired and innate immune function to develop as well.
Hargis discussed the benefits of using appropriate probiotics treatments for broilers during the WattAgnet.com webinar, “You never have to recover from a good start: The importance of early flock performance and recent innovations in hatchery probiotics,” which was sponsored by the Pacific Vet Group. He said that the immediate post-hatch period is a critical time for the development of the chick’s digestive tract. Chicks must undergo the transition from energy supplied by the endogenous nutrients of the yolk to exogenous carbohydrate-rich feed. During this time, dramatic changes occur in mucosal development, morphology and function. He said that the timing and occurrence of these changes is “entirely dependent upon appropriate microbial colonization.”
Exposing the chick to a sufficient quantity of the appropriate probiotics mixture before it is exposed to other microbes can improve the effectiveness of the probiotics. Application in the hatchery gives the probiotics bacteria a head start on colonizing the chick's digestive tract, before the chicks will be exposed to the bacteria and fungi in the broiler house.


Symbiotic relationship
The intestinal microbiota of the chicken can aid the health and growth of the bird by fermenting carbohydrates, producing short-chain fatty acids, metabolizing proteins, and enhancing mineral and lipid absorption. Early establishment of the intestinal microbiota promotes proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cell lineages, regulates angiogenesis, modifies the activity of the enteric nervous system, extracting and processing nutrients in the diet, assembly of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and education of the immune system.
Hargis said the most beneficial pioneer colonizers of the gastrointestinal tract must competitively establish within the neonatal intestinal tract, displace opportunistic pathogens to which chicks are commonly exposed as early as hatch, stimulate enteric development and integrity, and must create favorable niches for eventual colonization by complex beneficial microbiota. Selection for bacterial strains that can meet all of these criteria is an essential part of the development of a truly effective probiotics culture.


Field trials
Dr. Ross E. Wolfenden, vice president of research and development, Pacific Vet Group, and Dr. James Barton, technical service director, Pacific Vet Group, presented results of large field trials, one with 9 million broilers, of hatchery-applied probiotics, FloraStart, in the U.S. The probiotics-treated birds had higher weights, with greater uniformity, and lower mortality at seven days of age. In the 9 million broiler test, the livability and weight gain improvements carried through to market.

Attend webinar on early flock health, hatchery probiotics

Industry experts will discuss the benefits of increased seven-day weights and reduced early mortality on broiler flocks and new approaches to achieving these performance objectives in a webinar sponsored by Pacific Vet Group and presented by WATT Global Media.
Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/591526369 to attend the webinar, "You Never Have to Recover from A Good Start: Importance of Early Flock Performance and Recent Innovations in Hatchery Probiotics," which will be held Wednesday, May 7 at 9 a.m. CDT.
During the webinar, attendees will learn about:
• Industry trends and new developments in alternatives to antibiotics
• The critical ingredient for consistent, reliable performance from a probiotic
• Pioneer colonizers that give broiler chicks a head start to optimal performance
Speakers
Dr. Billy Hargis, professor in the department of poultry science at the University of Arkansas, will speak on innovations in science-based probiotics.
Dr. Ross Wolfenden, vice president of research and development at Pacific Vet Group, will address the critical importance of isolate selection.
Dr. James Barton, director of technical services at Pacific Vet Group, will discuss a new technology specifically developed for hatchery administration.

Probiotics could reduce manure output in pigs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has conducted the first published investigation of the use of bacteria as a probiotic to increase fiber fermentation rates and reduce manure output in pigs that consume high-fiber diets.
ARS scientists fed the pigs in the study a typical diet or a high-fiber diet. The The high-fiber diet contained 10 percent soybean hulls and 20 percent corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS).
The pigs were also given one of three bacterial supplements the scientists developed from different strains of Bacteroides ovatus, which had been obtained from human fecal samples and cultured in fiber-rich media. The three bacterial supplements were designated Bacterium B, C, and D.
Pigs that received the bacterial supplements designated as Bacterium B reduced their manure output by 20 percent. These pigs also gained more weight and had improved blood cholesterol and glucose levels, both indications of an improved energy status, compared with pigs not given probiotics.
Scientists believe the probiotic could improve pig performance and reduce manure volumes, which in turn would increase producer profits and reduce the environmental footprint of pork production. The bacterium could be fed in a liquid supplement or possibly freeze-dried and mixed with feed.
This work was supported by a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as part of the Intestinal Fortitude Program, which investigates how to help people obtain more energy from fiber. Results were published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2012.

Bacterial capsule discovery aids in development of poultry probiotic

The coat of a potential poultry probiotic has been analyzed by researchers at the UK's Institute of Food Research, giving the first clues to how it may be used to exclude pathogenic bacteria.
Lactobacillus johnsonii has previously been shown to exclude Clostridium perfringens from the poultry gut. The bacteria makes a coat for itself that plays an important role in colonization, and the researchers have characterized what makes up the coat, giving a better idea of its role, and so, helping in the development of these bacteria as a way of combating C perfringens.
Using NMR spectroscopy, the researchers discovered that the coat is made up of two types of exopolysaccharides (EPS), which are long sugar-containing molecules that many bacteria use to encapsulate themselves. This capsule may help the bacteria to cope with environmental stress, or aid colonization and adhesion. Different bacterial strains have different EPS structures, and understanding this is important as they represent a key way bacteria interact with the world around them.
The strain of L jonhsonii is now being taken through farm-scale trials to assess its potential use to combat pathogenic infections of poultry such as C perfringens. 

Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize awarded at EuroTier 2012

Peter de Schryver is this year’s recipient of the Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize. Awarded at the trade show EuroTier, the prize recognized his work in evaluating a new microbial-based approach to improve aquaculture practices.
His study looked at applying poly-B-hydroxybutyrate, or PHB, as a feed supplement in aquaculture. At levels of 2 percent and 5 percent in the diet, PHB seemed to significantly enhance the growth performance of juvenile European sea bass with a factor of 2.4 and 2.7, respectively. The richness and genetic diversity of the intestinal microbial community in terms of the range-weighted richness seemed to be closely correlated with the growth performance of the fish, suggesting a host-microbial interaction that was steered by the presence of PHB.
Supplementation with PHB had a steering effect in juvenile sea bass, resulting in converging microbial community similarities between treated fish. PHB induced more equal abundances between the various bacterial species, and higher PHB levels resulted in a higher degree of evenness.
To increase the efficiency of PHB treatment, PHB depolymerising probiotics were isolated for the first time from the intestinal environment of juvenile sea bass, sturgeon and giant river prawns. These were combined with PHB in a symbiotic strategy. This approach increased the survival of Artemia franciscana nauplii with a factor of 2 to 3 when challenged with a pathogenic Vibrio strain, compared to an approach with PHB or the isolates alone.

FEFANA, European Probiotics Association partner to promote probiotics

The EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures, FEFANA, and the European Probiotics Association have established a cooperation agreement to collaborate for the promotion of probiotics for animal nutrition. The two associations have joined forces with the aim to generate, develop and share their know-how and information on probiotics with feed chain stakeholders.
The joint group will work on a series of communication activities on topics already identified and related to subjects perceived as important and/or innovative for probiotics. A website is under construction to become a reference and an information source to those interested to follow-up developments related to probiotics. The joint group will operate within the FEFANA structure and make sure that their activities fit to the specialty feed ingredients industry overall objectives. Gérard Bertin, European Probiotics Association secretary general, will take care of the management of this joint group, with support and involvement of the FEFANA staff.

European Food Safety Authority develops guidance for feed probiotic assessment

The European Food Safety Authority has developed guidance for the safety assessment of one of the most common probiotics used in animal feed, Enterococcus faecium.
The guidance provides a new methodology for distinguishing between safe and potentially harmful strains of E. faecium in animal nutrition. It is intended for use by feed additive producers submitting applications to the European Food Safety Authority for safety assessment. In this new guidance document, a practical methodology is given to differentiate between safe strains and the potentially harmful clinical strains of E. faecium, based on the bacteria’s susceptibility to the antibiotic ampicillin and the absence of three genetic markers associated with virulence. In practice, this will mean a significant reduction in the number of tests and data that producers must submit to the European Food Safety Authority as part of their applications for the authorization of E. faecium-based feed additives. It also increases clarity for applicants in terms of the criteria the European Food Safety Authority uses to assess the safety of their products.
The guidance document was developed over the last year by the European Food Safety Authority's Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed in cooperation with the leading international experts in this area and was subject to a public consultation on the Authority's website.

Poultry researcher studies broiler antibiotics alternatives

A recent article in Poultry Science examines several possible alternatives to antibiotics in broiler production, including probiotics and prebiotics, bacteriophages, bacteriocins and phytotherapeutics. “Historic Perspective: Prebiotics, Probiotics, and other Alternatives to Antibiotics," written by Dr. Michael Hume, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research service, also helps explain key differences among the alternatives currently being examined. “Calls for restricting the use of human health-related antibiotics in food animal production are now receiving more attention than ever from the scientific community, food animal producers, consumers and the human healthcare community," said Hume. "However, most of these alternative products are still in the experimental stage and are a long way from commercial availability. But the hard work it will take to get there is essential if we want to help protect the vulnerable inventory of human disease-fighting antimicrobials currently in use." The paper was originally presented by Hume at a Poultry Science Association symposium on the potential impact of reduced antibiotic use and the roles of alternatives to antibiotics in antibiotic-free broiler production.

'US Digestive Ingredients in Animal Feed Market' report released

Research and Markets Ltd. has released its latest report, "U.S. Digestive Ingredients in Animal Feed Market."
The report focuses on the various subsets of the market, including enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics and phytogenics. Market overviews, forecasts and trends, as well as competitive analyses, are covered. More information on this report, including purchase options, can be found here.