Horse-Derived Probiotic Strains Show Promise Against Clostridium perfringens

Two bacterial strains isolated from healthy Lichuan horses significantly inhibited an equine strain of Clostridium perfringens in laboratory tests and reduced disease signs in a mouse infection model, according to a study published in Animal Microbiome. The strains, Lactococcus lactis H11 and Lactobacillus salivarius Y273, were identified as lactic acid bacteria with properties that made them leading probiotic candidates against the pathogen.

Clostridium perfringens infections cause intestinal diseases in numerous animal species, with damage mediated by multiple enterotoxins. Because probiotics have potential to help prevent pathogenic infections, the research team set out to isolate and evaluate lactic acid bacteria from healthy Lichuan horses as possible protective agents against an equine-derived C. perfringens strain designated S5.

Among the isolates obtained from the horses, H11 and Y273 stood out. Both showed significant in vitro inhibition of S5 and displayed key probiotic characteristics, distinguishing them from the other bacteria cultured in the screen.

The researchers then moved to an animal model. In mice infected with the pathogen, prophylactic administration of either H11 or Y273 mitigated weight loss and intestinal damage, the two most visible consequences of infection in the model.

The protective effects appeared to extend to the molecular level. The treated animals showed enhanced gut barrier function, reflected in upregulation of tight junction proteins, the structural components that seal the intestinal lining and limit the passage of harmful material into the body.

Treatment also reduced systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in the infected mice, indicating that the bacterial strains influenced processes beyond the local gut environment.

Beyond direct effects on the host, the probiotic candidates favorably modulated gut microbiota composition and host metabolism, suggesting that their benefit may arise partly from reshaping the microbial community and metabolic activity in the intestine rather than simply blocking the pathogen directly.

The authors conclude that H11 and Y273 are promising equine-derived probiotic candidates for controlling C. perfringens infections. However, because the infection experiments were conducted in mice, the findings require further validation in equine hosts before any application to horses can be considered established. The article was shared early as a peer-reviewed, accepted version of record in progress, and is open access.

Subject of Research: Probiotic lactic acid bacteria isolated from Lichuan horses that inhibit equine Clostridium perfringens

Article Title: Inhibition of equine Clostridium perfringens by probiotics derived from Lichuan horses

Article References: Yan, Z., Deng, D., He, Y., Di, Z., Li, S., & Shen, Y. (2026). Inhibition of equine Clostridium perfringens by probiotics derived from Lichuan horses. Animal Microbiome. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-026-00634-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s42523-026-00634-w

Keywords: Clostridium perfringens, probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, Lichuan horses, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus salivarius, gut barrier, mouse model, equine health, Animal Microbiome, Inhibition, equine