Anti-microbial agent from Paenibacillus sp. and methods and uses thereof

A method of reducing mortality in poultry comprising administering to the poultry an effective amount of a dietary supplement comprising a cell culture supernatant obtained from culturing:

• (a) an isolated Paenibacillus polymyxa bacterium which has a 16S ribosomal RNA (16SrRNA) gene containing a DNA comprising the base sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• or
• (b) an isolated Paenibacillus polymyxa bacterium deposited at the ATCC® under the terms of the Budapest Treaty and designated Accession Number PTA-10436,
• said cell culture supernatant comprising at least one antimicrobial compound produced by (a) or (b) that inhibits growth of a Gram-negative staining bacterium, wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of a compound with a molecular weight of about 1169 Da which includes a fatty acid moiety 6-methyloctanoyl, and a compound with a molecular weight of about 1155 Da which includes a fatty acid moiety 6-methylhepatanoyl, wherein at least 0.5 ml of the dietary supplement is added per kg of chicken feed and mortality is reduced in poultry receiving the chicken feed with the added dietary supplement relative to control poultry who receive the chicken feed without the dietary supplement.