Nutriad has demonstrated the use of Quorum
Sensing (QS) as a tool in the development of new feed additives for livestock
and aquaculture application.
Furthermore, these prototype additives were shown to be efficacious in improving zootechnical performance of production animals under field conditions.
Nutriad CEO Erik Visser states: “Gut health
is one of several factors important to obtaining optimum efficiency and
profitability in livestock and aquaculture production. We see increasing
evidence of the central role played by gut microbiota in animal health and
disease. Our technical staff therefore
works closely together with leading universities around the world to further
improve our feed additives portfolio aimed at supporting gut health.”
Tim Goossens (Phd) of Nutriad adds: “When
selecting ingredients that affect gut bacteria, such as botanical components,
many feed additive producers often rely on in vitro experiments that
demonstrate their bacteriostatic effect. However, the active ingredients of
these botanicals will end up in the digestive tract of production animals at
concentrations far below the minimal concentration needed to inhibit growth of
(pathogenic) bacteria.
“A more reliable approach might be to
select feed additive ingredients based on the effects botanical (and other)
components can have at much lower concentrations that are more likely to be
relevant to gut health improvement. An example of a test with which sub-MIC
effects of bioactive components can be explored is Quorum Sensing.”
QS Is a bacterial signaling process that is
critical for several biochemical responses, including the production of several
virulence factors. Molecules that inhibit QS have the potential, therefore, to
be used to fight pathogens by decreasing their virulence rather than killing
them directly.
QS as a potential tool to combat humans
diseases is being investigated currently while research on pathogens relevant
to animal production is also expanding.
Reducing QS in the gastro-intestinal tract is an interesting approach to
control gut microbial activity and composition, and the potential for
QS-inhibition as a means of improving animal health has been reported in
several research papers.
Furthermore, the probability that bacteria
will build up resistance against these products is low due to the fact that
phytochemicals can disrupt distinct QS signal transduction steps (e.g.
production, secretion and uptake of signaling molecules, binding to the
specific receptors, modification of signal transducing proteins and activation
of DNA by transcription factors) thereby reducing the chance of a single
mutation rendering the bacteria resistant.
Furthermore the selective pressure for
molecules that only suppress bacterial functions (rather than kill the
organism) is much lower as it does not affect bacterial growth and viability.
Using QS, Nutriad has been able to select
(from a list of botanicals with known beneficial effects on animal performance)
a combination of components that almost completely abolished QS signaling in
vitro at very low concentrations. These mixtures also had a positive effect at
sub- MIC concentrations on the viability of microbially challenged organisms in
two in vivo models, Vibrio and C. elegans.
In subsequent field trials, these botanical
mixtures improved health and performance in poultry and aquaculture species,
arguing for the potential of QS to be used as a tool to select for botanical
ingredients.
The importance of QS in production animals
is currently not fully clear and many pitfalls and possible (dis)advantages of
inhibiting QS remain to be investigated However, Nutriad believes that, in
order to increase the chance of selecting the highest performing bioactive
components in vivo, it is vitally important that the effect that these
substances can exert at low concentrations are explored and QS is a potential
promising tool to be considered for such investigations.
Nutriad International delivers products and
serviced to over 80 countries through a network of own sales offices and
distributors supported by 4 application laboratories and 5 manufacturing
facilities in 3 continents.
QS Is a form of bacterial communication
that is critical to bacterial virulence. By starting up a dedicated research
program in 2011, investigating the ability of several highly bioactive
compounds to inhibit QS, Nutriad was able to select a combination of components
that, in in-vivo models, had a positive effect on the viability of
microbially-challenged simple model organisms at sub-MIC concentrations.
Furthermore, these prototype additives were shown to be efficacious in improving zootechnical performance of production animals under field conditions.
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| Nutriad CEO Erik Visser |
 |
| Tim Goossens |
Visit the Nutriad website HERE.
(MAG1503)
The Global Miller
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which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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