Probiotic Abilities of Lactobacillus spp. Isolated from Algerian Fermented Wheat ‘Hamoum’ intended to Use in Broiler Production

Background: The use of probiotics has become popular in the broiler poultry industry due to its positive results on the health of animals, as well as the safety of consumers. In general, probiotics are isolated and selected In vitro from several sources. Despite this, only a few studies focused on isolating probiotics from cereals, which are the main natural food source for poultry. This study aimed to evaluate and identify an autochthonous Lactobacillus spp. isolated from Algerian fermented wheat “Hamoum” as potential probiotics for use in broiler feed. Methods: This research was conducted over the period between 2019-2022. Five bacterial isolates of the genus Lactobacillus were tested for their hemolysis activity, exopolysaccharides production, the ability to withstand the simulated hostile conditions of the chicken’s gut and their capacity to acidify the concentrate feed beverage. Finally, molecular identification was performed using the REP-PCR technique. Result: These isolates were found to produce exopolysaccharides and have no hemolytic activity. Also, could tolerate simulated gastric acidity. However, only three isolates were able to survive in the presence of bile salts and were found to have a high capacity for acidifying medium in a relatively short time. These isolates were identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum subsp plantarum. Those strains can be considered safe candidate probiotics for use in broiler feeds feed. Further studies are needed to investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of these isolates through an in vivo experiment on broiler chickens.