Calf Talk

November, 2006

Volume 12, No. 11

CAN FOS OR BIO-MOS PREVENT SALMONELLA?

By: Russ Schnepper

Can feeding FOS or other Oligosaccharides prevent a Salmonella infection? I do not think this infection can be totally prevented, however, FOS can be very beneficial. These products have been advertised as being able to stimulate the production of “good bugs” and prevent the growth of “bad bugs”. This makes it sound like FOS is very intelligent, but it really has nothing to do with being able to tell who is a good bug and who is a bad bug. The reason it can be selective is many of the pathogenic “bugs” do their damage by attaching to the wall of the intestine and setting up an infection. The bacteria use fimbriae, tiny hair like projections from the bacterial cell wall, to attach to the epithelial lining of the intestine. The fimbriae have an affinity for the FOS and attach to the molecule instead of the epithelial lining of the gut. The attached bacteria pass out of the body with the feces and do no harm. Salmonella and E. Coli have these hair like projections and attach to the FOS. Beneficial organisms such as lacto bacilli and fecal streps do not have fimbriae and hence do not attach to the FOS and become neutralized as the salmonella and coliforms do. Obviously Bio-Mos and FOS can not have an effect on salmonella organisms that are inhaled. Salmonella dublin can be aerosolized and enter the body through the respiratory tract. FOS is promoted as a prebiotic. FOS is not digested by the enzymes in the stomach and duodenum, so it passes into the lower bowel undigested. This allows the FOS to be used as food by the “good bugs” (hence the name prebiotic) growing in the colon. Most probiotic products also contain prebiotics to enable the “good bugs” to thrive.

There are several products that function similar to the FOS, which is an oligofructose (two sugar molecules, fructose and glucose, hooked together) . MOS is a manno oligosaccharide (has a mannose instead of a fructose molecule). Some of the products are derived from rhizomes, roots of plants like chicory, garlic, onion, wild yams, and artichoke . Some are derived from yeast cell wall products. Inulin is another product and is composed of 2 to 140 fructose units and l glucose unit. These products are all used in the same fashion. FOS is marketed in the human trade as a prebiotic and to promote colon health. FOS is also an artificial sweetener, and since it is not digested there are no added calories for the user. There are also claims that these products enhance the immune system

All these oligosaccharides are used in the poultry, fish, rabbit, swine and cattle industries to help promote the growth of the “good bugs”. They improve feed efficiency and the rate of average daily gain. The organic industry has approved oligosaccharides for use in the organic programs.

Nothing is all good. There are reports in humans of the oligosaccharides promoting the growth of Klebsiella bacteria. These are normally occurring bacteria found in the gut and are not usually a problem unless they overgrow. Klebsiella organisms are often blamed in antibiotic diarrhea, in which the antibiotics have killed off the good bugs leaving the Klebsiella with no competition.

FOS type products, (which include extract of chicory), are contained in most of the calf products we sell. They include Gammulin, all the Quantum Leap Products - Calf-Lyte Plus, Probiotic, and the Scour Product. Quantum Leap Scour Product has decoquinate, serum, extract of chicory, amino acids, trace minerals (including selenium), and vitamins. Maybe the addition of the FOS is what makes the Quantum Leap Scour Product work much better for scours in the calf’s first two weeks of life, than we expected.

Contact information for ordering information and questions about our products:

Schnepper International, Inc.

3210 County B, Platteville, WI 53818

608-348-6141, Fax: 608-348-6146