BB-kb@ldeleger:BB-kb-F-25648083-000 JSONTXT

Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785 is a potential competitive exclusion agent to control Clostridium perfringens and other pathogens in poultry [4]. However, the mode of action related to this protective effect is as yet undefined. The adherence capacity of probiotic bacteria to the GI tract is a contributing factor for pathogen exclusion [5] and the cell surface characteristics of probiotic bacteria have been related to these adhesion properties [6-9]. Several members of the genus Lactobacillus are capable of producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) which can play an essential role in determining the cell surface characteristics [7]. EPS are also involved in the formation of biofilms [10,11], which may improve colonisation and aid survival [12-14].