The Potential of Leuconostoc mesenteroides Strain LK-151 to Inhibit in vivo Salmonella Infection

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the probiotic Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain LK-151 isolated from fermented camel milk against Salmonella infection in BALB/c mice. A total of 50 mice were divided into five groups of n = 10 per group and subjected to different treatments. Infecting mice with Salmonella led to a significant decrease in feed intake and body weight. This occurred simultaneously with the appearance of symptoms on day 3 of the infection with the recording of one death after 6 days. The pathogenic cells were detected at a high rate in the feces, which reached 7.045 Log10 CFU/g on day 7 post-infection. Histological studies revealed significant damage to the ileum and the liver. Whereas, administering mice with the probiotic strain for one week before being infected with S. Typhimurium avoided body weight loss, and feed intake was not affected. The probiotic was able to suppress the growth of the pathogen and offer protection to the ileum. However, localized congestion was noted in the liver of some mice. It was also found that giving the probiotic to the mice during the infection did not improve the tested parameters. It can be concluded that the strain under study has probiotic potential and can protect against Salmonella infection.