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Introduction:One aim of the study was to evaluate the impact when added to feed of the two potentially probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum K KKP 593/p and Lactobacillus rhamnosus KKP 825 on production performance, health, and the composition of gut microbiota. The complementary aim was to assess the safety of these strains in broiler rearing. Material and Methods: A total of 500 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were divided into four groups. The experimental factor was the admixture of bacterial preparation to the feed at different doses: the recommended maximum dose, a dose ten times higher, the recommended minimum dose, and a zero dose for the control group not receiving bacteria. Results: Addition of bacteria to the diets did not have a significant effect on the final body weight, final body weight gain, nor total feed intake or feed conversion. However, lactic acid bacteria had a positive effect on chicken health. Mortality among chickens fed with LAB was reduced. Moreover, LAB feeding inhibited the growth of Salmonella spp. and Clostridium perfringens in the intestines. There were no significant differences in chicken performance by dose of bacteria in the feed. The group dosed with LAB ten times higher than the recommended maximum did not demonstrate changes in biochemical or haematological parameters of blood compared to the remaining groups. Conclusion: Feeding chicken broilers with two potentially probiotic LAB strains is safe and impacts animal health positively.

The aim of the current study was to determine the ability of the Lactobacillus buchneri M B/00077 strain to degrade xylan, its impact on the quality of silage made from the lignocellulosic biomass of Spartina pectinata L., as well as the efficiency of biogas production. In the model in vitro conditions the L. buchneri M B/00077 strain was able to grow in a medium using xylan as the sole source of carbon, and xylanolytic activity was detected in the post-culture medium. In the L. buchneri M B/00077 genome, genes encoding endo-1,4-xylanase and β-xylosidase were identified. The silages prepared using L. buchneri M B/00077 were characterized by a higher concentration of acetic and propionic acids compared to the controls or the silages prepared with the addition of commercial xylanase. The addition of bacteria increased the efficiency of biogas production. From the silages treated with L. buchneri M B/00077, 10% and 20% more biogas was obtained than from the controls and the silages treated with commercial xylanase, respectively. The results of the current study indicated the strain L. buchneri M B/00077 as being a promising candidate for further application in the field of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass.

The aim of the research was to determine the impact of double-cut harvest system on yield, as well as on suitability of Miscanthus × giganteus biomass for ensiling and biogas production. Biomass was harvested at the end of June (harvest I) and at the beginning of October (harvest II, regrowth). A single-cut regime at the end of October was also conducted. Biomass from harvests I and II was ensiled and subjected to anaerobic fermentation. The total dry matter (DM) yield from double-cut harvest system was similar to the DM yield from one-cut harvest, but two harvests per year had a positive effect on chemical composition of the biomass. C/N ratio and lignin content in the biomass from harvest I was lower compared to the single-cut biomass. Double harvest biomass was susceptible to ensiling, however, the biomass from harvest I characterized by low dry matter and water soluble sugars content resulted in poorer quality of the obtained silage (butyric acid was present). There were no significant differences between the methane yields obtained from ensiled biomass from harvests I and II.