Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are widely used as food preservatives and are also present in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals at high concentrations, may play a role in the persistence of Salmonella typhimurium in the environment. To test the hypothesis, S. typhimurium was adapted to SCFA for 1 h and the % survivors against various stress conditions was determined. For adaptation, the SCFA mixtures at the concentrations found in small (SI) and large intestine (LI) were used. The % survivors against extreme acid (pH 3.0), high osmolarity (2.5 M NaCl), and reactive oxygen (20 mM H 2 O 2 ) was greatly increased by exposure to SCFA LI, but to a much less extent by SCFA SI. The results suggest that encountering SCFA by S. typhimurium in the large intestine of the host food animal or food materials treated with them may increase the persistence of S. typhimurium in food animal preand postharvest production by enhancing overall stress resistance.

Feed deprivation is the most common method used to induce molting and stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles in laying hens for commercial egg production. Unfortunately, an increased risk of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) colonization may result from the use of this method. Methods to stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles without increasing the risk of SE are needed. In each of 3 experiments, hens over 50 wk of age were divided into groups of 12 and placed in individual laying cages. One week before dietary changes, hens were put on an 8L:16D photoperiod that continued for the 9-d experimental period. Hens in all treatments were challenged orally with 10(4) cfu of SE on the fourth day. Treatments were full fed hens (nonmolted, NM), nonfed hens (molted, M), a zinc acetate diet (ZAC), and a zinc propionate diet (ZPR). The zinc diets contained 10,000 mg of zinc per kilogram of diet. Body weight losses were significantly higher in the M, ZPR, and ZAC treatments than in the NM treatment. Crop lactic acid decreased more in M, ZPR, and ZAC treatments than in NM hens in trial 2. Crop pH was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in NM hens than in M, ZAC, and ZPR hens in trial 2. Although cecal individual or total volatile fatty acids (VFA), and lactic acid were not significantly (P > 0.05) different between NM hens and M, ZAC and ZPR hens in trial 1, lactic acid was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in NM hens than in M, ZAC and ZPR hens (trial 2), and cecal total VFA were lower in M hens than in NM, ZAC and ZPR hens (trial 3). Colonization of SE in the crop and ceca was higher in the M and ZPR hens (trials 1 and 2). Liver, spleen, or ovary invasion by SE was higher in the M and ZPR hens (trials 1 and 2) than in NM hens. At the zinc concentration used in these studies, the zinc dietary regimens may be effective for reducing the risk of SE during induced molt.

The objective of these experiments was to determine whether alternative molting diets would minimize Salmonella enterica serovar Entertitidis (S. Enteritidis) colonization in molting hens. Hens were randomly assigned to four treatment groups of 12 hens either full‐fed (nonmolt, NM), molted by feed withdrawal (molt, M), a low calcium (LC containing 800 mg calcium), or LC diet supplemented with 110 mg zinc/ kg of diet (LC‐ZN) in two trials. All hens were challenged orally with 10 5SE on day 4 of experiment. Hen body weight loss was significantly (P < 0.05) increased and ovarian weight was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in hens fed the LC or LC‐ZN diets compared to NM. Cecal lactic acid concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in hens fed alternative molting diets. Feed withdrawal molted hens exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) more S. Enteritidis positive and S. Enteritidis crop, cecal, and organ colonization than NM, LC and LC‐ZN hens. Alternative molt diets retain sufficient fermentative activity to limit S. Enteritidis colonization and therefore may have potential to avoid the risk of increasing S. Enteritidis colonization associated with feed withdrawal.

Zinc supplemented diets have been used to provide zinc as a nutrient and higher concentrations have been used to induce molt in laying hens. It is not known if the zinc in these diets would inhibit Salmonella spp growth. This study examines the effects of zinc compounds on the growth of S. typhimurium poultry isolate under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The aerobic growth response of S. typhimurium was determined either in tryptic soy broth (TSB) or minimal (M9) broth containing five different concentrations (0.67, 2.01, 3.35, 4.69, and 6.03% [wt/vol]) of either Zn acetate [Zn(C2H2O2)22H2O] or Zn sulfate [ZnSO47H2O] while anaerobic growth response was determined in M9 broth with or without reductants (L‐cysteine hydrochloride [C3H7NO2SHCl], and sodium sulfide [Na2S 9H2O]). Aerobic growth rates inhibited (P < 0.05) by Zn acetate than by Zn sulfate in TSB medium. The Zn source and concentration decreased (P < 0.05) aerobic growth response of S. typhimurium poultry isolate in M9 medium. The growth rates of S. typhimurium under anaerobic growth conditions were less responsive to Zn salts but were generally lower (P < 0.05) in the presence of reductant than in the absence of reductants at each concentration of Zn compound. The results in this study provide evidence that Zn may inhibit S. typhimurium under in vitro aerobic or anaerobic atmospheric conditions and S. typhimurium grows less optimally under anaerobic growth conditions.

The effects of different organic acid compounds on the survival of a dry inoculum of Salmonella typhimurium marker strain added to poultry feed were determined. Organic acids were added as 1% Zn or Na salts (w/w) to poultry feeds and stored at room temperature for 9 days. Reduction of S. typhimurium populations from 0 to day 9 was not substantially different between poultry layer ration nonamended feed (96.76%) and Zn acetate (99.72%) or Zn propionate (99.60%) amended feed. However, over 90% reduction of S. typhimurium populations occurred in Zn acetate and Zn propionate amended feed by day 3 while poultry layer ration populations reached 90% reduction by day 5. S. typhimurium populations after 9 days were nearly 40% more reduced in Na propionate amended feed than Na acetate amended feed. The results of this study indicated 1% Zn compounds may have potential to reduce survival of S. typhimurium in a poultry diet during the early stages of storage.