A cell preparation of Enterococcus faecalis strain EC-12 stimulates the luminal immunoglobulin A secretion in juvenile calves.

The immune system in juvenile calves is immature, so calves are susceptible to several diarrheal and respiratory diseases. Oral administration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is known to improve the growth performance and prevent diarrheal and respiratory diseases by stimulating the immune system in juvenile calves. Most of the immunostimulation by LAB is achieved by their cell wall components, and therefore we evaluated the immunostimulation of the cell preparation of Enterococcus faecalis strain EC-12 (EC-12) in juvenile calves in a clinical field. Twenty-nine 1-week old calves were used. Fourteen calves were administered 0.2% (w/w) of an EC-12 preparation that supplemented a milk replacer, and other calves were not supplemented. Feces and serum was collected at day 0, 7 and 49 after the administration to measure the IgA and IgG concentration. The fecal IgA concentration was increased by EC-12 administration at day 49, and the serum IgA concentration was also increased at day 7. These results suggested that oral administration of EC-12 in juvenile calves might have an immunostimulatory effect and provide earlier recovery of IgA levels in mucosal immunity.