The young scientist had the opportunity to give a presentation of his study during the 5^th International Symposium on Probiotics ‘’Cross Talk Now!”, organized by INITIA in Quebec City, November 6-7^th. A Second Prize was awarded to Stéphanie-Anne Girard for her work on the potential of probiotics on mechanisms involved in post-myocardial infarction depression .

Today, probiotics are gaining momentum in animal and human health and nutrition, and this is linked to the strong and growing body of evidence of their efficacy and modes of action. Both winning entries of this year’s Rosell Probiotic Challenge were mechanistic studies in different fields of applications. Rosell Probiotic Challenge is organized by Institut Rosell- Lallemand, part of Lallemand’s Human Health and Nutrition Division.

Jean-François Daudelin is conducting his Master’s Thesis under the supervision of Martin Lessard from Agriculture Canada (Sherbrooke), John M. Fairbrother and Eric Nadeau (Université de Montréal). His project looked into the modes of action of probiotics in preventing F4+ enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) infection in piglets post-weaning. It appears that the administration from birth of P. acidilactici (Bactocell) in combination with S. boulardii (Levucell SB) limits the attachment of the pathogen to the gut mucosa, a key step of ETEC infectiveness. Probiotics also stimulate the synthesis of compounds implicated in the body’s defense against the pathogen, Interleukin-6 and β-defensin 2. Moreover, the administration of Bactocell alone tends to reduce the clinical signs of diarrhea in piglets challenged with ETEC. It as concluded that the use of Bactocell, either alone or in combination with Levucell SB, was a promising alternative in the prevention of F4+ enterotoxigenic E. coli infection in piglets.

Piglets diarrhea post-weaning is an important financial burden for pig farmers, with F4+ enterotoxigenic E. coli a major cause of infection. Antibiotics are used as both a preventive and therapeutic measure. The massive use of antibiotics in animal production has been implicated in the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens, a growing public health concern. For this reason, certain regulatory bodies such as the European Commission have banned their continuous use in animal feed, and the search for natural alternatives is an important strategy.

Dr Wendy Dahl, Assistant Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition at University of Florida, and a member of the jury, commented: “We were impressed by the quality of the work submitted, and we wish to thank all the young researchers for their participation. The quality of the science but also the diversity of the fields of investigations regarding probiotics applications demonstrate that probiotic research is a dynamic field with great potential for new applications in human as well as animal health.”

Open to university students in North and South America, Rosell’s Probiotic Challenge aims to encourage awareness and education regarding probiotics, in the continuation of Institut Rosell founders’ commitment to pioneer and promote probiotic applications. Young researchers were assessed by a scientific jury for the quality of their works.