News

Antimicrobial peptides derived from a strain of probiotic bacteria demonstrated the potential to inhibit the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illness in lab and poultry experiments, according to a team of researchers from The Ohio State University. In a paper published yesterday in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, the researchers report that three small peptides (P1-NPSRQERR, P2- PDENK, and P4-MLNERVK) derived from Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG inhibited the growth of Salmonella serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis—the top Salmonella serovars isolated in human infections—in a series of lab experiments. When the researchers tested the efficacy of the peptides in a flock of layer chickens who were challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium, they found that two of the peptides (P1 and P2) reduced intestinal colonization at 7 days post-infection, with no adverse effects on the microbial community in the intestine. A possible alternative to antibiotics The researchers say the peptides could provide an alternative approach to antibiotics for controlling Salmonella in chickens and chicken products, which are the primary vehicle for Salmonella infections.