Preventive and therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobial peptides in chicken salmonellosis

Abstract

The possibility of prevention and treatment of salmonellosis in chickens during experimental infection with microorganisms of the S. Enteritidis strain is discussed. The relevance of the work was the importance of finding new ways to prevent and treat salmonella infection in chickens caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella. In the experiment, an antimicrobial composition of peptides was used obtained as a result of immunization of larvae of the black soldier fly (H. illucens). Fifth-instar Hermetia illucens larvae were immunized with inactivated culture S. Enteritidis which had multiple resistance to more than three pharmacological groups of antibiotics. To study the preventive and therapeutic effects, a 20% solution of an antimicrobial peptide composition was used, and the combined effect of antimicrobial peptides and Enrofloxacin was studied in one of the groups. It was found that the prophylactic efficacy of using the composition of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) orally to chickens within 7 days before infection was 93.3%. The greatest therapeutic effect (93.3%) was observed in the group of chickens with the combined use of Enrofloxacin according to the guidelines and the use of a 20% solution of antimicrobial peptides orally. Thus, the effectiveness of the preventive and therapeutic effects of AMP in this concentration and with this method of administration was comparable. The use of Enrofloxacin per os, according to guidelines allowed for 80% treatment efficacy which was by 13.3% less effective than the combined use of Enrofloxacin and antimicrobial peptides. Analyzing the experimental data obtained, we may conclude that a 20% solution of antimicrobial peptides may be used for therapeutic and preventive measures for salmonella infection in chickens. It should be noted that at the recommended doses, the antimicrobial peptide composition under study is highly effective in chicken salmonellosis caused by S. Enteritidis. Thus, the high potential of using the AMPs obtained has been demonstrated which may be used as a basis for the design of new antimicrobial drugs for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections.