Assessment of probiotic potential of Lactobacillus reuteri MD5-2 isolated from ceca of Muscovy ducks

: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used as probiotics in poultry. The present study employed invitro and in vivo methods to select and test LAB isolated from Muscovy duck ceca as potential probiotics. In thein vitro study, 50 LAB were isolated from Muscovy duck ceca and tested for growth inhibition against Salmonella(S.) Enteritidis. Eleven isolates strongly inhibited S. Enteritidis and only 1 isolate (MD5-2) showing the strongestinhibition was selected for identification. This isolate was called as Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri MD5-2. For the in vivoinvestigation, 90 1-day-old Muscovy ducks were randomly assigned into three groups of 30 animals each (group 1,control; group 2, treated with 10 8 colony-forming unit (CFU) of L. reuteri MD5-2 orally once on day 1; and group3, treated with 10 8 CFU of L. reuteri MD5-2 orally once daily from days 1 to 5). The ducks were housed in threelarge cages and raised for 50 days, after which body weight, duodenal villus height and crypt depth were measured.Both villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio were significantly greater in group 3 than in groups 1 and2. In conclusion, further investigation of L. reuteri MD5-2 as a potential probiotic strain is warranted.Keywords : Lactobacillus reuteri, Muscovy ducks, Salmonella Enteritidis, lactic acid bacteria, probiotics