Adisseo and Novozymes announced March 5 that, in a first for the industry, they have been able to demonstrate and visualize in detail the germination of a proprietary probiotic product inside the gut of birds.

During a gathering in Paris, France, the partnership presented novel data and innovative techniques to scientifically prove that their jointly managed, proprietary bacillus probiotic (Alterion) is an effective and consistent solution for poultry, the companies said in an announcement.

“For the first time ever, scientists have been able to prove that commercial bacillus-based probiotic spores become active and grow inside the gut of birds. The process, known as germination, is crucial to demonstrate the desired benefits of probiotics for animal production,” explained Damien Prévéraud, global technical and scientific manager health by nutrition at Adisseo. “These include improved health, growth, resilience and feed utilization, which, in turn, offer a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.”

The companies said the use of probiotics such as bacilli has increased considerably in livestock production over the last 25 years, yet their degree of germination within animals has been virtually unknown, prompting questions regarding the benefit of probiotics for livestock.

Due to the complexity of the process within the intestinal environment, in vivo confirmation of germination has been a very challenging task, Adisseo and Novozymes said.

"Based on our strong bacillus knowledge and our extensive biological tools, we have developed an innovative fluorescent system that tracks the germination process within the bird’s gut,” said Karoline Sidelmann Brinch, science manager at Novozymes Applied Research, Animal Health & Nutrition. “Thanks to this technology, we have now been able to visualize the active form of Alterion, proving that that our probiotic germinates and grows inside poultry.”

Probiotics, or direct-fed microbials, are naturally occurring live bacteria added to feed to improve the gut health of pigs, poultry and other livestock, the companies said.