Reducing the growth and extra-intestinal spread of Campylobacter in broiler chickens using organic compounds - an in vitro study

Abstract P3

Presenter: Amy Hillier (Swansea University)

Infection with Campylobacter spp. (primarily C. jejuni and C. coli) from undercooked chicken is a major cause of human gastroenteritis. In addition to causing human illness, some strains of Campylobacter stimulate an immune response in chickens. Inflammation in the avian gut mucosa causes significant damage to the intestinal epithelium, facilitating the extraintestinal spread of Campylobacter to muscle and liver tissues. We hypothesized that Campylobacter extraintestinal spread from the chicken gut would be limited by controlling gut mucosa inflammation and reducing Campylobacter growth using organic compounds (butyric acid, caprylic acid and chromium propionate). Twenty-three strains of Campylobacter from naturally infected broiler chickens were tested for invasive capacity in vitro and five were selected for further study (two control strains, and a gut, liver and caecal strain). First, we explored the direct effect of organic compounds on Campylobacter growth; it was found that butyric and caprylic acid, but not chromium propionate, reduced Campylobacter growth in a concentration and pH dependent manner. At the strain level, only the reduction in growth of the gut strain was significant. Secondly, we used gentamicin protection assays of avian 8E11 and human CaCo-2 gut cells precultured with organic compounds to explore their effect on bacterial invasion. The treatments were not cytotoxic per se, and they reduced Campylobacter invasion in a concentration dependent manner. In conclusion, organic acids reduced Campylobacter invasion and growth in vitro. These findings imply that organic acids have the potential to be used as feed additives to control Campylobacter in chickens.

About the presenter

I am Amy Hillier a 3rd year PhD research student at Swansea University Medical School in the microbiology and infectious diseases group. I am doing a PhD funded by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health. Upon completion of my PhD I am interested in medical diagnostics and sport science - and this is where I would like my career to take me.

Presenting in Speaking session 2 - Pathogenesis