Antimicrobial composition

A method of simultaneously inhibiting propagation of pathogenic microorganisms and promoting colonization of non-pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of a human or non-human animal, which comprises orally administering an effective amount of an antimicrobial composition to said animal, wherein said antimicrobial composition comprises:

• a) an effective amount of freeze-dried cloves of in Allium sativum, or freeze-dried cloves of Allium sativum having the scar at the end removed, and being substantially free of allicin and
• b) an amount of non-pathogenic microorganisms selected form the group consisting of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Pediococcus effective to colonize the gastrointestinal tract of said animal, wherein said non-pathogenic microorganisms
• i) attach to the apithelial tissue of the small intestine of said animal;
• ii) resist at least 3% (w/w) bile salts;
• iii) have a doubling time of less than two hours in vitro, and
• iv) are homofermentative or heterofermentative lactic acid producers with greater than 40% by molarity of the acid produced being lactic acid,
• and wherein oral administration of said antimicrobial composition causes the simultaneous inhibition of propagation of pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract and promotion of colonization of the gastrointestinal tract of said human or non-human animal with said non-pathogenic microorganisms.

A method of inhibiting propagation of pathogenic microorganisms and promoting colonization of the gastrointestinal tract of a human or non-human animal with non-pathogenic microorganisms, which comprises orally administering:

• a) an effective amount of an antimicrobial material to said animal so that the orally administered antimicrobial material reaches said gastrointestinal tract and acts to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms present in the animal, wherein said antimicrobial material comprises freeze-dried cloves of Allium sativum, or freeze-dried cloves of Allium sativum in which the scar at the end has been cut-off, wherein the cloves were freeze-dried to produce an antimicrobial material comprising alliin and alliinase and being substantially free of allicin, and
• b) an effective amount of a composition comprising non-pathogenic microorganisms of the genera Lactobacillus, Enterococcus or Pediococcus effective to colonize the gastrointestinal tract and wherein said non-pathogenic microorganisms
• i) attach to the epithelial tissue of the small intestine of said animal;
• ii) resist at least 3% (w/w) bile salts;
• iii) have a doubling time of less than two hours in vitro, and
• iv) are homofermentative or heterofermentative lactic acid producers with greater than 40% by molarity of the acid produced being lactic acid,
• wherein the oral administration of said antimicrobial material and said composition causes the simultaneous selective inhibition of propagation of said pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract and the selective propagation of said non-pathogenic microorganisms in said tract.