Probiotic call to arms: a new weapon against Clostridium perfringens

Authors: Laura Franco Garcia, Dr. Martine Boulianne, Dr. Marcio Carvalho Costa CRIPA, Fonds de recherche du Québec, Université de Montréal

Article published in La terre de chez nous on November15, 2023 : https://www.laterre.ca/chroniques/page-de-conseils/une-nouvelle-arme-contre-clostridium-perfringens/#:~:text=perfringens%20a%20%C3%A9t%C3%A9%20%C3%A9tudi%C3%A9e%20dans,perfringens.

Clostridium perfringens, a rapidly growing enemy with an arsenal of more than 20 virulent toxins, has struck terror in the world of intestinal diseases, affecting both humans and animals throughout the last century.[1],[2] While probiotics are gaining ground in human and veterinary medicine to prevent and control these dreaded clostridial diseases, little information is available on the ability of probiotics specifically adapted to fight Clostridium perfringens in chickens.[3]

Currently, the prevention and treatment of Clostridium infections relies mainly on antibiotics, but given the policies to reduce their use in animal agriculture, bold new therapeutic strategies are required to counter these tough infections. Certain bacterial strains specific to chickens have proven to be real warriors against the C. perfringens pathogen.

To test the potency of these chicken-specific strains against C. perfringens, a variety of experiments were employed, including an agar well diffusion test and a broth dilution test. Cell-free supernatant was also collected at different phases of bacterial growth, with or without pH neutralization. Then, for in vivo testing, 40 broilers with these strains were inoculated.

On the in vitro battlefield, five probiotic strains showed a formidable ability to neutralize C. perfringens (the diseased chicken isolate). The inhibitory effect was specific to each probiotic strain, but two of these strains demonstrated pH-independent action, probably through the production of antimicrobial peptides or bacteriocins neutralizing C. perfringens. The fusion of probiotic forces produced powerful antimicrobial action in vitro against C. perfringens.

However, on the in vivo battlefield, the combination of probiotics failed to reduce the damage inflicted on infected chickens by C. perfringens. One positive note is that none of the bacterial treatments (either individual strains or a combination) caused the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β by intestinal epithelial cells. These strains, moreover, display favourable growth characteristics, positioning them as valuable allies in our quest for probiotics. In summary, this study paves the way for in-depth exploration of the potential of this new probiotic as a promising antimicrobial agent against C. perfringens.

As a next step, clinical trials in animals should be deployed to evaluate the effectiveness of these probiotics as prophylactic shields or therapeutic weapons in the fight against the dreaded clostridial enteric diseases. The battle is far from over, but these probiotics stand ready to fight alongside modern medicine for victory over Clostridium perfringens.

[1] Janezic S, Zidaric V, Pardon B, Indra A, Kokotovic B, Blanco JL, Seyboldt C, Diaz CR, Poxton IR, Perreten V, Drigo I, Jiraskova A, Ocepek M, Weese JS, Songer JG, Wilcox MH, Rupnik M International Clostridium difficile animal strain collection and large diversity of animal associated strains. BMC Microbiol. 2014;14:173. [2] Uzal FA, Freedman JC, Shrestha A, Theoret JR, Garcia J, Awad MM, Adams V, Moore RJ, Rood JI, McClane BA. Towards an understanding of the role of Clostridium perfringens toxins in human and animal diseases. Future Microbiol. 2014;9:361–77. [3] Clavijo, V., & Flórez, M. J. V. (2018). The gastrointestinal microbiome and its association with the control of pathogens in broiler chicken production: a review. Poultry Science, 97(3), 1006-1021.