Evaluation of Weissella Cibaria JW15 Probiotic Derived from Fermented Korean Vegetable Product Supplementation in Diet on Performance Characteristics in Adult Beagle Dog

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Dogs are the most popular companion animals worldwide, and their popularity is still increasing. Maintaining health and seeking optimal nutritional feed for dogs is an important component of responsible pet ownership. Probiotics have been widely used in animals; however, little research exists on some probiotic species which have been reported to have good probiotic properties. The present study investigated the effects of Weissella cibaria JW 15 isolated from the traditional Korean fermented vegetable product (kimchi) as a probiotic feed additive on the nutrition and health characteristics in the adult Beagle dogs. The results of this study indicated that Weissella cibaria probiotics have beneficial effects in dogs, which provide evidence and insight for the application of probiotics in dogs. ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Weissella cibaria JW15 (WJW15) isolated from traditional Korean fermented vegetable product (kimchi) as a probiotic feed additive on nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, feces noxious gas emission, and feces Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus counts in adult Beagle dogs. In total, 15 Beagle dogs with an average initial body weight of 10.20 ± 0.38 kg were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments in a 14-day feeding trial. Dietary treatments consisted of basal diet (CON); MJW = CON + 50 g of WJW15 (3.0 × 10(8) cfu/g); and BJW = CON + 50 g WJW15 (3.0 × 10(9) cfu/g). At the end of the experiment, the serum concentration of triglycerides and feces ammonia emissions were decreased (P < 0.05) with the increasing level of WJW15 supplementation. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum and feces lactic acid bacteria count was improved (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of WJW15. In conclusion, WJW15 isolated from kimchi supplementation in adult Beagle dog diet may have beneficial effects as a probiotic feed additive.