Isolation and Identification of Chicken-Derived Lactic Acid Bacteria: In Vitro Probiotic Properties and Antagonistic Effects against Salmonella pullorum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli

The development of probiotics capable of quickly colonizing the intestines of animals is important in promoting the healthy growth of livestock. The aim of this study was to screen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the intestinal microbiota of chickens with potential applications, and to evaluate their probiotic properties and antagonistic abilities against Salmonella pullorum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The results showed that a total of 79 strains with the characteristics of LAB were isolated from the chicken cecum microbiota, of which 7 strains exhibited strong inhibitory activity against S. pullorum, S. aureus, and E. coli. Performing 16s rDNA sequencing revealed that these seven strains were Lactiplantibacillus pentosus (n = 1), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (n = 3), Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum (n = 1), Lactiplantibacillus argentoratensis (n = 1), and Lactiplantibacillus fabifermentans (n = 1). Among them, L. pentosus R26 and L. plantarum R32 exhibited superior antibacterial activity. These two strains demonstrated high lactic acid production ability, with survival rates of 86.29% and 87.99% after 3 h of treatment at pH 1.5, 86.66% and 85.52% after 3 h of treatment with 0.5% bile salts, 90.03% and 88.16% after 2 h of treatment with simulated gastric fluid, and 98.92% and 98.22% after 2 h of treatment with simulated intestinal fluid, respectively. Co-cultivation with L. pentosus R26 for 24 h resulted in 50% of the pathogens being antagonized, while almost complete inhibition was observed following 72 h of co-cultivation. In conclusion, L. pentosus R26 and L. plantarum R32 exhibited high antibacterial activity and acid production capability, while also demonstrating satisfactory tolerance to low pH values and high concentrations of bile salts and digestive fluid. The probiotic characteristics and stress resistance of L. pentosus R26 were slightly superior to those of L. plantarum R32, indicating its potential for development as a probiotic.