Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics: The Secrets of Promoting Microbial Balance in the Gut
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 222
Special Issue Editor
Interests: probiotics; prebiotics; postbiotics; gut microbiota
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Probiotics consist of live microbes intended to populate our gut and potentially confer health advantages. They can bolster host immunity by upholding the epithelial barrier, preventing pathogens from attaching to the intestinal surface, and regulating the immune system’s maturation. However, the live nature of probiotics poses limitations for therapeutic use. As a result, attention is shifting from viable live probiotics to nonviable postbiotics derived from probiotics. Postbiotics, derived from probiotics, offer potential improvements in intestinal microbiota balance and reinforcements to gut barrier integrity, fostering epithelial repair in the host and thereby contributing to observed improvements in leaky gut conditions and immune response modulation. These beneficial compounds support the growth, activities, and functions of probiotics and the overall gut microbiota. The consumption of prebiotics for modulating gut microbiota prompts the generation of microbial metabolites (postbiotics) like short-chain fatty acids. Prebiotics, though indigestible by humans, serve as nourishment for probiotics, selectively stimulating the growth of specific bacteria in the colon and thus benefiting host health. Prebiotics interact with gut microbiota through mechanisms such as nutrient competition, antagonism, cross-feeding, and support for microbiota stability. Prebiotics can also activate signal transduction pathways by binding to receptors on the surface of intestinal cells, thereby regulating the physiological functions of intestinal cells. These interactions contribute to fostering a healthy gut environment.
The study of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics aims to understand their potential benefits for human health, particularly in the regulation of microbe–microbe, microbe–host, and microbe–food interactions at the molecular level, including (1) how probiotic microorganisms contribute to the balance and well-being of the gut microbiota; (2) how prebiotics selectively promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in the gut; and (3) how postbiotics contribute to maintaining the integrity of the gut epithelial barrier.
Dr. Fu-Chen Huang
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- probiotics
- prebiotics
- postbiotics
- gut microbiota
- gut epithelial integrity
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