In vitro: Antimicrobial effect of lactobacillus salivarius on staphylococcus pseudintermedius

Lactobacillus spp. are the bacteria most commonly used as probiotics and it has been proven that they inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth and improve skin repair in humans. This study was conducted to investigate the growth inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus on Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, the most commonly isolated pathogen in canine pyoderma, and whether Lactobacillus could inhibit the adhesion capability of S. pseudintermedius to canine corneocytes. For this study, L. salivarius and S. pseudintermedius were isolated from healthy beagle fecal samples and the skin surface of dogs with skin infection, respectively. S. pseudintermedius was co-cultured with L. salivarius to assess the inhibitory effect. For the adhesion assay, corneocytes were collected from healthy beagle ventral abdominal skin. Both bacterial species attached to corneocytes and were assessed in number. As a result, L. salivarius significantly inhibited the growth of S. pseudintermedius in the culture medium. Moreover, L. salivarius reduced attachment of S. pseudintermedius in the adhesion assay. These results suggest that L. salivarius has an inhibitory effect on S. pseudintermedius and may be effectively used in the topical therapy of canine skin infections.