title: Beneficial effect of lantibiotic nisin in rabbit husbandry.
abstract: Nisin is a bacteriocin marketed as Nisaplin. The aim of our work was to test its in vivo effect in a rabbit model; its effect on phagocytic activity (PA) and morphometry has not so far been studied. Post-weaning rabbits (48), 5 weeks old (both sexes, Hycole breed), were divided into the experimental (E) and the control groups (C), 24 animals in each. They were fed a commercial diet with access to water ad libitum. Rabbits in E had nisin additionally administered to their drinking water (500 IU-20 μg per animal/day) for 28 days. The experiment lasted 42 days. On day 28, significant decrease in coagulase-positive (CoPS) staphylococci and coliforms was noted (p < 0.01) in faeces of group E compared with C. Pseudomonads and clostridiae were also significantly reduced (p < 0.001; p < 0.05) and slight decrease was also in CoNS and enterococci. On day 42, coliforms were still significantly reduced (p < 0.001) in faeces; slight decrease in CoPS and pseudomonads was noted. In the caecum, significant decrease in pseudomonads (p < 0.05) was noted on day 28; slight decrease in coliforms. In the appendix slight decrease in coliforms, pseudomonads was obtained on both days. PA was increased significantly in E on days 28, 42 (p < 0.001). Biochemical parameters were not influenced; nor were volatile fatty acids or lactic acid in the chymus. Nisin application did not evoke oxidative stress. In group E, an increase in average body weight gain (about 9.4 %) was noted. The villus height/crypt depth ratio was not influenced; that is, resorption surface and functionality of mucosa were not influenced.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Physiology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia, laukova@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lauková
authors.forename: Lubica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chrastinová
authors.forename: Iveta
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Plachá
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kandričáková
authors.forename: Renáta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Szabóová
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strompfová
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chrenková
authors.forename: Klaudia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cobanová
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zitňan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002432:Cecum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000187:drug effects; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009561:Nisin; D019344:Lactic Acid