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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What are the factors that upset the microflora and induce changes in the gut flora?
The use of dietary antibiotics as growth stimulants and promoters
can adversely affect the gut flora. When
antibiotics are used, whether as a treatment for clinical disease, or as growth
promoters, a proportion of the beneficial microorganisms becomes disrupted and
can lead to an increased susceptibility of the gut to colonisation of
pathogenic bacteria. The consequent reduction in disease resistance is
manifested by an increased vulnerability to salmonella and other pathogen
colonisation of the gut.
One factor that should be considered when
dealing with the consequences of modern intensive farming methods is stress.
There is strong evidence that stress can affect the composition of the gut
microflora. Stress can be described as a factor that stimulates homeostatic,
physiological and behavioural responses in excess of the norm. The only
accepted measure of the presence or absence of a stressor is the blood level of
adrenal corticosteroids which becomes raised during stress which effects the
peristaltic movement of the gut and the production of mucus within the
gut. Stress also affects the intestinal
microflora by reducing the concentration of lactobacilli and other Lactic Acid
Bacteria (LAB) and increasing the concentrations of coliforms such as E. coli.
All stressful situations to which an animal is
exposed contribute towards an increased intestine pH (more alkaline), and thus
the gastrointestinal tract is likely to favour the development of pathogenic
species such as E. coli at the
expense of beneficial species.
High stocking rates, extremes or fluctuations
in environmental temperatures, vaccination, mixing of calves, castration,
competition with other calves, antibiotic therapy and transportation are a few
of the factors that are considered as stresses that may result in a change of
balance of gut flora in favour of pathogenic species.
Stress can depress the immune response of animals and humans and
some antibiotics have been shown to depress the immune response significantly
leading to a reduction in weights of the spleen and thymus. Withdrawal of the
antibiotics in these cases can lead to the restoration of gut flora and a
return to immune function. Antibiotics can also often reduce the lactobacilli
population. Hence animals enduring stress exhibit alterations and breakdown of
the regulatory mechanism in the gastrointestinal tract ecosystem allowing
easier establishment of pathogens within the tract.
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