Effect of dietary lactose and cell concentration on the ability of a continuous-flow-derived bacterial culture to control Salmonella cecal colonization in broiler chickens.

The effect of dietary lactose and of cell concentration of a continuous-flow (CF) derived bacterial culture on Salmonella typhimurium cecal colonization in 10-d-old broiler chickens was examined. One-day-old chicks were provided 1) no CF culture and the control diet; 2) no culture and a 2% lactose diet; 3) CF culture (10(8) or 10(11) anaerobic cfu) and control diet; or 4) CF culture (10(8) or 10(11) anaerobic cfu) and 2 to 4% lactose diet. All groups were challenged orally with 10(4) S. typhimurium at 3 d of age. Salmonella typhimurium growth in cecal contents was significantly decreased (P < .05) at 10 d of age when 2% lactose was used in combination with CF culture containing 10(8) or 10(11) anaerobic cfu. The protection factor (log10 Salmonella control diet divided by log10 Salmonella treatment group) for these treatment groups was 2.49 and 9.26, respectively. Results indicate that birds treated with CF culture and maintained on 2% dietary lactose are protected against S. typhimurium colonization. Additionally, inoculating birds with CF culture containing a higher concentration of anaerobic colony-forming units resulted in a substantially higher protection factor.