Antiparasitic Activity of Enterocin M and Durancin-like from Beneficial Enterococci in Mice Experimentally Infected with Trichinella spiralis

Abstract

Beneficial/probiotic strains protect the host from pathogens by competitive displacement and production of antibacterial substances, i.e., bacteriocins. The antiparasitic potential of bacteriocins/enterocins and their producing strains in experimental murine trichinellosis were tested as a new therapeutic strategy. Enterocin M and Durancin-like and their producers Enterococcus faecium CCM8558 and Enterococcus durans ED26E/7 were administered daily to mice that were challenged with Trichinella spiralis. Our study confirmed the antiparasitic effect of enterocins/enterococci, which reduced the number of adults in the intestine (Enterocin M—43.8%, E. faecium CCM8558—54.5%, Durancin-like—16.4%, E. durans ED26E/7—35.7%), suppressed the Trichinella reproductive capacity ex vivo (Enterocin M—61%, E. faecium CCM8558—74%, Durancin-like—38%, E. durans ED26E/7—66%), and reduced the number of muscle larvae (Enterocin M—39.6%, E. faecium CCM8558—55.7%, Durancin-like—15%, E. durans ED26E/7—36.3%). The direct effect of enterocins on Trichinella fecundity was documented by an in vitro test in which Durancin-like showed a comparable reducing effect to Enterocin M (40–60%) in contrast to the ex vivo test. The reducing activity of T.spiralis infection induced by Enterocin M was comparable to its strain E. faecium CCM8558; Durancin-like showed lower antiparasitic activity than its producer E. durans ED26E/7.