Animal & Dairy Science: Personnel
Acie C. Murry, Jr.
Associate Professor B.S., Tennessee State University Edgar L. Rhodes Center for ADS |
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Description of Research Interests
Dr. Murry's research is focused on dietary manipulation to alter intestinal microflora and reduce fecal odor-causing compounds in swine and dogs. Dr. Murry has investigated the effect of complex carbohydrate (Lactosucrose) supplementation in pig's and dog's diets. Results show that lactosucrose does not affect growth performance and nutrient digestibility in pigs. Also, results show that lactosucrose altered fecal microbial activity resulting in reduced odor causing compounds in pigs and dogs.
Dr. Murry also focuses on minimizing the use of antibiotics in food animals to ensure that they are healthy and are not a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Approximately 76 million humans become ill from consuming foods contaminated with pathogenic bacteria (Campylobacter, Salmonella, Escherichia coli (including O157:H7), and Listeria); which costs the U.S. economy $6.9 billion per year and result in 1,600 deaths each year. Recently, research has shown that competitive exclusion has contributed to the minimization of food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Competitive exclusion is a term that has been used to describe the protective effect of the natural or native bacterial flora in limiting the colonization of some bacterial pathogens. Dr. Murry is currently evaluating competitive exclusion cultures obtained from adult swine and poultry feces for their ability to in vitro inhibit Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Results from the swine and poultry studies show that zones of inhibition produced by Bacillus subtilis isolates were significantly larger for S. typhimurium and E. coli than zones for the controls in both the swine and poultry grower feed agar media. In addition, when the fecal B. subtilis isolates obtained from swine and poultry were compared with a B. subtilis isolate obtained from the American Type Culture Collection, zones of inhibition of S. typhimurium and E. coli were significantly larger than zones produced by the ATCC isolate. These findings indicate that although B. subtilis isolates from different environments can inhibit the growth of S. typhimurium and E. coli in vitro, isolates recovered from the fecal contents may produce significantly greater inhibition of the growth of enteric bacteria associated with swine and broiler chickens.
Courses Taught
ADSC 2300-Companion Animal Care
ADSC 3300-3300L-Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Selected Recent Publications
Murry, Jr., A. C. and A. Hinton, Jr. 2006. Comparison of in vitro inhibition of growth of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli on broiler feed media by two sources of Bacillus subtilis. Poultry Science, Volume 85, Supplement 1. In Press.
Murry, A. C., A. Hinton, Jr., and J. Buhr. 2004. Effect of a probiotic
containing two Lactobacillus strains on growth performance and
population of bacteria in the ceca and carcass rinse of broiler
chickens. Poultry Science, Volume 82, Supplement 1.
Murry, A. C. Jr. and A. Hinton, Jr. 2003. Use of probiotics in the
diet of weanling and growing pigs. Journal of Animal Science, Volume
81, Supplement 1.
Murry, A. C. Jr., P. Bush, and A. Hinton, Jr. 2002. Effect of
lactosucrose on performance, fecal odorous compounds, and fecal
microflora in growing pigs. The University of Georgia, Animal and Dairy
Science, Annual Report.
Murry, A. C. Jr., S. Sanchez, and P. Bush. 2001. Effect of lactic acid
and lactosucrose supplementation in diets for nursery pigs. Journal of
Animal Science, Volume 79, Supplement 1.
Murry, A. C. Jr., Susan Sanchez, and Parshall Bush. 2000. Progress
Report. Diet manipulation using lactosucrose and lactic acid to reduce
fecal and urine phenolic metabolites and fecal microflora in nursery
pigs. The University of Georgia, Animal and Dairy Science, Annual Report.
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