Evonik develops new probiotic for poultry

The product* has a positive effect on the healthy balance of bacteria populations in the chicken gut especially under stressful conditions. “The product can be part of a set of alternative solutions to reduce the use of antibiotic growth promoters. Thus it can contribute to a healthy and balanced nutrition of livestock,” says Dr Emmanuel Auer, head of the Animal Nutrition business line at Evonik.

For the development of the probiotic, a multi-parameter selection process was established to screen more than 500 strains of the bacterial type Bacillus subtilis for probiotic properties. Different scientific in vitro as well as in vivo studies demonstrated the ability of Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 to modify the gut microbiota to inhibit the conditions that encourage different necrotic enteritis outbreak isolates.

This illness, which is commonly associated with certain pathogenic bacteria of the Clostridium perfringens type, causes losses of billions of US dollars to the global poultry industry every year.

The product will initially be introduced in the US market, and other countries will follow. Since the acquisition of the probiotic business of the Spanish company NOREL S. A. in the summer of 2016, Evonik has two probiotics in its portfolio: Ecobiol^® (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940) for poultry and Fecinor^® (Enterococcus faecium CECT 4515) for piglets. “This new, own developed probiotic product ideally complements our product portfolio and expands our options to serve our customers worldwide,” states Peter Freisler, head of Gut Health Solutions at Evonik.

In addition to expanding its product portfolio, Evonik is developing a unique chicken gut simulation model in order to study the mechanisms of action of probiotics in animal nutrition.

*GutCare® PY1