1. What is the microflora? Where is it located in the digestive system? What is its composition? What is the role of the microflora in feed digestion?
2. What are the factors that upset the microflora and induce changes in the gut flora?
3. What is the basic concept of probiotics and how do they work?
4. What are the minimum administration requirements for a probiotic?
5. What makes a good probiotic?
6. What exactly is Protexin?
7. When is the right time to use Protexin?
8. Are there any risks or disadvantages of using Protexin? Can you give too much?
9. Can Protexin be used to prevent disease?
10. Why do probiotic trials sometimes show variable results?
11. Is Protexin compatible with in-feed antibiotics, growth promoters or coccidiostats?
12. Is Protexin compatible with chlorine, water sanitisers and any other in-feed components?
13. Does Protexin require any special storage methods?
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Can Protexin be used to prevent disease?
The use of
Protexin cannot be expected to eliminate disease carriers completely. The
incidence of disease carriers will depend on many factors including which
disease, how contagious the disease is, how high the infective dose is,
management and biosecurity measures.
The digestive
tract of any animal will be colonised with many millions of microorganisms.
When the animal is healthy and disease free, the majority of these
microorganisms will be beneficial microorganisms. However, even when the animal
is healthy, there will still be potentially disease causing pathogen colonised
within the 'healthy' gut. These pathogens are so low in concentration that
disease will not develop until the animals' general health and immune status is
affected.
Protexin and
other Probiotics have been shown to stimulate and maintain a high immune status
of the animal or bird and will hence help to prevent disease. Furthermore, the
beneficial probiotic microorganisms contained within Protexin will act to
Competitively Exclude potentially pathogenic microorganisms within the gut.
Protexin will also act like organic acids (as described below). Protexin
microorganisms (Lactic Acid Bacteria) when colonised within the gut, will
produce lactic acid which has a low pH which effectively produces the optimum
conditions required for the growth of these beneficial microorganisms.
Organic acids are included in feed in order to reduce the pH of the
feed to inhibit pathogenic bacteria within the feed ingredients. By including
organic acids in the feed, it will also result in a reduction of the gut pH
which will also have the effect of reducing pathogenic bacteria by increasing
the proliferation and colonisation of lactic acid bacteria (beneficial
bacteria) which are more suited to a pH of 5.5-6. E. coli and Salmonella tend to exhibit optimum growth at pH 7-8.0.
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