Probiotic potential of Escherichia coli ŽP for the gut microbiota of chickens

The effect of oral administration of Escherichia coli ŽP strain carrying a conjugative plasmid encoding the colicin E7 on the composition of the intestinal chyme microbiota of chickens was studied. It was shown that E. coli ŽP was present in the chyme of chickens 6-24 days of age in all experimental groups. In the microbiota of the control group (not administered with the ŽP strain) the Firmicutes phylum, as well as Proteobacteria (E. coli), Actinobacteria (Eubacterium spp.) and, to a lesser extent, Bacteroidetes were found. In the experimental groups the proportion of Firmicutes, represented by the Lactobacillus, Bacillus and Clostridium genera, was higher than in the control group. Our results showed that the use of E. coli ŽP helps to maintain a dynamic state of the microbiota, in all experimental groups, including the group, which was administered an APEC strain.