Organic Acids and Nature Identical Compounds Can Increase the Activity of Conventional Antibiotics Against Clostridium Perfringens and Enterococcus Cecorum In Vitro

• Main Authors: G. Giovagnoni, B. Tugnoli, A. Piva, E. Grilli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019-12-01
• Series: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
• Subjects: antibiotic resistance; minimal inhibitory concentration; Clostridium perfringens; necrotic enteritis; Enterococcus cecorum; bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617119323062

SUMMARY: In a global context of increased antibiotic resistance, feed additives with enhanced antimicrobial properties are a useful and increasingly needed strategy. Organic acids (OA) and botanical molecules such as nature identical compounds (NIC) have been shown to be effective against bacterial infections based on their antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the combination of OA or NIC with conventional antibiotics in poultry could increase antibiotic efficacy against Clostridium perfringens and Enterococcus cecorum. These organisms are the major poultry pathogens responsible for necrotic enteritis and bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis, respectively, and they have developed resistance to several antibiotics worldwide. A set of antimicrobial tests showed that both species had variable antibiotic sensitivity. Alternatively, OA and NIC were always effective in a dose-dependent manner, even when the antibiotics failed. For several strains, selected combinations of OA or NIC with antibiotics increased the bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics. Therefore, OA and NIC have potential to enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against C. perfringens andE. cecorum.