Probiotics are live microorganisms that that confer beneficial effects once consumed in adequate amounts. These microbial feed supplements have been shown to improve the balance of the gut microbiota, typically by producing nutrients, stimulating the immune system, inhibiting epithelial and mucosal adherence, and the production of fermentation metabolites. One type of probiotics are spore-forming bacteria from the genus Bacillus. These probiotics have an increased capacity to survive the acidic conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract and a longer shelf-life than typical lactic acid bacteria.
Six Bacillus strains have been investigated for their antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and Clostridium perfringens. One active strain has been fermented and chemically investigated which led to the identification of several antimicrobial natural products. In vivo studies of animal feed supplement containing the Bacillus strain to observe their effects on poultry growth performance using metabolomics is currently ongoing. Further optimization on fermentation conditions will be conducted to maximize the production of active natural production from the strain. The results will assist the development of an effective probiotic for use as an microbial animal feed supplement.