The development of probiotics for use in the ostrich farming industry in South Africa
Ostrich farming in South Africa is an important industry but it often suffers from high mortality rates among the ostrich chicks. This is thought to be due in part to environmental stress, leading to the delay in the development of the microbiota, thus making invasion by pathogens likely. Very little is known about the microorganisms inhabiting the ostrich gastrointestinal tract, however they do play an important role in humans and animals and disturbance of this community can be fatal. It has been established that probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. play an important role in the health of the host. In order to discover novel probiotic strains, bacteria should be isolated from the host, identified, characterised in-vitro to screen their potential suitability, and finally these results should be confirmed in-vivo. The aim of this study was to follow these guidelines in order to find a successful probiotic mix to decrease the mortality observed on ostrich farms, and to compare the effects of the probiotic mix to that of the antibiotic, tylosin, on the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
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Department of Molecular and Cell Biology