The Effects of <i>Bacillus licheniformis</i>—Fermented Products on the Microbiota and Clinical Presentation of Cats with Chronic Diarrhea

oleh: Ting-Wei Lee, Tzu-Yi Chao, Hui-Wen Chang, Yeong-Hsiang Cheng, Ching-Ho Wu, Yen-Chen Chang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-08-01

Deskripsi

<i>Bacillus licheniformis</i>-fermented products (BLFP) are probiotics with antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve growth performance. This study aimed to compare the fecal microbiota of diarrheal cats with chronic diarrhea (<i>n</i> = 8) with that of healthy cats (<i>n</i> = 4) from the same household using next-generation sequencing, and evaluate the effectiveness of oral administration of BLFP in relieving clinical signs and altering the intestinal microbiota in diarrheal cats. Six out of eight diarrheal cats showed clinical improvement after BLFP administration for 7 days, and the stool condition of the other two was normal. A higher <i>Firmicutes</i>/<i>Bacteroidetes</i> ratio was noted in the feces of diarrheal cats without clinical improvement as compared with those in the healthy cats and in the diarrheal cats with clinical improvement after receiving BLFP. The phylum <i>Bacteroidetes</i> and class <i>Bacteroidia</i> decreased significantly in diarrheal cats regardless of BLFP administration. <i>Blautia</i> spp., <i>Ruminococcus torques</i>, and <i>Ruminococcus gnavus,</i> which belong to the <i>Clostridium</i> cluster XIVa and have been reported as beneficial to intestinal health, increased significantly in feces after treatment. Furthermore, <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> also significantly decreased in diarrheal cats after BLFP administration. Overall, BLFP could be a potential probiotic to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms and improve fecal microbiota in cats with chronic diarrhea.