We have previously covered the intestinal problems of brachycephalic breeds, and many studies are focusing on their microbiota and eubiosis. The search for new bacterial species with probiotic action is an important recent goal, given their ability to contribute to the resolution or amelioration of various diseases by targeting a rebalancing of the intestinal ecosystem whose imbalance is often related to disease states.
The study from the University of Teramo, published in 2022, evaluates the efficacy of a potential probiotic strain, L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203, on the body weight and stool quality of healthy adult French Bouledogue dogs, including evaluating its ability to change the composition of the intestinal microbiota by increasing the number of beneficial bacterial species such as lactobacilli and decreasing pathogenic ones such asE. coli.
Experimental design
The dogs included in the study were divided into two groups: the control group, fed the standard commercial diet with the addition of a placebo, and the treated group given the probiotic. The study lasted 35 days, in accordance with the time needed to evaluate any effects.
Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 promotes beneficial species.
While body weight showed no differences between the two groups of dogs, fecal moisture was significantly lower at the end of the study in the treated group than in the control group; the beneficial effect of Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 was also confirmed by the fecal score values recorded between the two groups of dogs. Fecal score is one of the most important parameters of biological significance, and at the end of treatment, they reported a significant decrease of about 1 point in the group treated with L. reuteri NBF 1.
At the end of the study period, there was also a significant increase in lactobacilli in the treated group compared to the control group (P= <0.001), once again confirming the ability of this potential probiotic strain to improve the composition of the intestinal microbiota, promoting an increase in beneficial species that can help maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosa.
Reference
Belà B, Pignataro G, Di Prinzio R, Simone DD, Crisi PE, Gramenzi A (2022) Effects of Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 Supplementation on Healthy Bouledogue Francais Performance. J Appl Microb Res. Vol: 5 Issu: 2 (19-29). https://www.innovationinfo.org/articles/JAMBR/JAMBR-161.pdf
