title: Administration of Bacillus coagulans in calves: recovery from faecal samples and evaluation of functional aspects of spores.
abstract: An investigation was carried out into the recovery from calf faeces of Bacillus coagulans spores added to the feed as probiotic. For this purpose, Bacillus coagulans spores (9 log₁₀ CFU g⁻¹) were given daily to 10 calves during the whole farming periods; another 10 calves acted as controls. Throughout the trial the faecal spore counts were significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the treated group than in the controls (averaging 2.1 x 10⁵ vs 3.7 x 10⁴ CFU g⁻¹). Bacterial cells were recovered from faecal samples and ribotyping matched the strain isolated from faecal sample to the clone administered to the animals. In addition, the recovered cells were found to maintain their functionality aspects of acid production, survival in artificial gastric juice and in the presence of bile, and attachment to human intestinal epithelial cells. The results further elucidate the fate of spore formers administered to calves, and this will help in the development of new species-specific nutritional strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science and Technology for Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. barbara.ripamonti@unimi.it
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ripamonti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agazzi
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balzaretti
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pirani
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rebucci
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savoini
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stenico
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domeneghini
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D021521:Ribotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*