Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.1
Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety
share announcement

Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2023) | Viewed by 26046

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesca Gaggia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
DISTAL (Dept. of Agriculture and Food Science), Bologna, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Interests: probiotics; prebiotics; animal and insect gut microbiota; PGPR; enivironmental microbiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High numbers of scientific papers concern the study of probiotics and prebiotics for preserving or restoring human health and obtained results have led to new trends on medical and pharmaceutical applications. The animal field has received less attention, until now, despite having enormous potential. Modulation of the animal gut microbiota with feed additives such as prebiotics and probiotics is a key element for host protection against zoonotic microorganisms, animal performance and welfare.

Metagenomic and transcriptomic studies can now help increase the existing knowledge of the functionality of the gut microbiota, its decisive role in host interactions and the efficacy of probiotic and prebiotic treatments.

Food safety is of fundamental importance to the consumer. Protective Cultures (PCs) for the safety of animal-derived foods should support good manufacturing practices. PCs can be very useful in ready-to-eat food products, besides meeting consumer demand for chemical-free treatments. They are also very useful in raw foods to extent shelf life, or in certain foods for fungal control.

The purpose of this special issue is to collect original articles as well as reviews concerning probiotics and prebiotics in animals and protective cultures for the safety of animal-derived foods. Example of topics includes probiotics and prebiotics for the health of pigs, horses, poultry, cattle, companion animals, fish aquaculture and honeybees.

The use of “dead” or “inactivated” probiotics in animal are equally welcome.

Last December, Professor Bruno Biavati passed away too early. We lost a mentor, a colleague and a friend.

During his career, Professor Biavati devoted himself to the microbiology and physiology of bifidobacteria. As a tribute to the research activity of his microbial group, in 2012, a new species of bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium biavatii) was named after him.

His interest in these bacteria led him to focus his research on the characterization of probiotics and the beneficial effects of their administration. In particular, his efforts were addressed to evaluate their efficacy in animals and humans.

He was a researcher with an insatiable curiosity and, although he was retired, he was still working with deep passion and those of us who worked and knew Bruno will miss his generosity in sharing ideas and participating in collaborative research studies.

This Special Issue on Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety is dedicated to his memory and aims to collect original works and reviews dealing with the modulation of the animal gut microbiota with prebiotics and probiotics and protective cultures for food safety.

We mourn his loss but his legacy will live on.

 

Dr. Francesca Gaggìa

Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Animal Health
  • Probiotics
  • Prebiotics
  • Host-Gut Microbiota interaction
  • Food Safety
  • Protective Cultures

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 1891 KiB  
Article
Faecal Microbiota Characterisation of Potamochoerus porcus Living in a Controlled Environment
by Donatella Scarafile, Diana Luise, Vincenzo Motta, Caterina Spiezio, Monica Modesto, Marzia Mattia Porcu, Yadid Yitzhak, Federico Correa, Camillo Sandri, Paolo Trevisi and Paola Mattarelli
Microorganisms 2023, 11(6), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11061542 - 9 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1208
Abstract
Intestinal bacteria establish a specific relationship with the host animal, which causes the acquisition of gut microbiota with a unique composition classified as the enterotype. As the name suggests, the Red River Hog is a wild member of the pig family living in [...] Read more.
Intestinal bacteria establish a specific relationship with the host animal, which causes the acquisition of gut microbiota with a unique composition classified as the enterotype. As the name suggests, the Red River Hog is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, in particular through the West and Central African rainforest. To date, very few studies have analysed the gut microbiota of Red River Hogs (RRHs) both housed under controlled conditions and in wild habitats. This study analysed the intestinal microbiota and the distribution of Bifidobacterium species in five Red River Hog (RRH) individuals (four adults and one juvenile), hosted in two different modern zoological gardens (Parco Natura Viva, Verona, and Bioparco, Rome) with the aim of disentangling the possible effects of captive different lifestyle and host genetics. Faecal samples were collected and studied both for bifidobacterial counts and isolation by means of culture-dependent method and for total microbiota analysis through the high-quality sequences of the V3–V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA. Results showed a host-specific bifidobacterial species distribution. Indeed, B. boum and B. thermoacidophilum were found only in Verona RRHs, whereas B. porcinum species were isolated only in Rome RRHs. These bifidobacterial species are also typical of pigs. Bifidobacterial counts were about 106 CFU/g in faecal samples of all the individuals, with the only exception for the juvenile subject, showing 107 CFU/g. As in human beings, in RRHs a higher count of bifidobacteria was also found in the young subject compared with adults. Furthermore, the microbiota of RRHs showed qualitative differences. Indeed, Firmicutes was found to be the dominant phylum in Verona RRHs whereas Bacteroidetes was the most represented in Roma RRHs. At order level, Oscillospirales and Spirochaetales were the most represented in Verona RRHs compared with Rome RRHs, where Bacteroidales dominated over the other taxa. Finally, at the family level, RRHs from the two sites showed the presence of the same families, but with different levels of abundance. Our results highlight that the intestinal microbiota seems to reflect the lifestyle (i.e., the diet), whereas age and host genetics are the driving factors for the bifidobacterial population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1635 KiB  
Article
Effects of Lactobacillus fermentum Administration on Intestinal Morphometry and Antibody Serum Levels in Salmonella-Infantis-Challenged Chickens
by Miroslava Anna Šefcová, David Ortega-Paredes, César Marcelo Larrea-Álvarez, Iván Mina, Victoria Guapás, David Ayala-Velasteguí, Paula Leoro-Garzón, Gabriel Molina-Cuasapaz, Christian Vinueza-Burgos, Viera Revajová and Marco Larrea-Álvarez
Microorganisms 2023, 11(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11020256 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2503
Abstract
There are no studies reporting the effects of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) on intestinal architecture and immunoglobulin serum levels in chickens. Here, we measured these parameters and hypothesized whether probiotic administration could modulate the observed outcomes. Two-hundred [...] Read more.
There are no studies reporting the effects of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) on intestinal architecture and immunoglobulin serum levels in chickens. Here, we measured these parameters and hypothesized whether probiotic administration could modulate the observed outcomes. Two-hundred 1-day-old COBB 500 male chicks were allocated into four groups: (I) the control, (II) the group treated with L. fermentum, (III) the group exposed to S. Infantis, and (IV) the group inoculated with both bacteria. At 11 days post infection, blood was gathered from animals which were then euthanized, and samples from the small intestine were collected. Intestinal conditions, as well as IgA and IgM serum levels, were assessed. S. Infantis reduced villus-height-to-crypt-depth (VH:CD) ratios in duodenal, jejunal, and ileal sections compared to control conditions, although no differences were found regarding the number of goblet cells, muc-2 expression, and immunoglobulin concentration. L. fermentum improved intestinal measurements compared to the control; this effect was also evidenced in birds infected with S. Infantis. IgM serum levels augmented in response to the probiotic in infected animals. Certainly, the application of L. fermentum elicited positive outcomes in S. Infantis-challenged chickens and thus must be considered for developing novel treatments designed to reduce unwanted infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1068 KiB  
Article
Human Breast Milk: A Source of Potential Probiotic Candidates
by Margherita D’Alessandro, Carola Parolin, Silvia Patrignani, Gilda Sottile, Patrizio Antonazzo, Beatrice Vitali, Rosalba Lanciotti and Francesca Patrignani
Microorganisms 2022, 10(7), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10071279 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2779
Abstract
This study focuses on the isolation of lactobacilli/bifidobacteria from human breast milk and their first characterization, in the perspective to find new probiotic candidates to be included in food products. More specifically, breast-milk-isolated strains demonstrated a very good aptitude to adhere to intestinal [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the isolation of lactobacilli/bifidobacteria from human breast milk and their first characterization, in the perspective to find new probiotic candidates to be included in food products. More specifically, breast-milk-isolated strains demonstrated a very good aptitude to adhere to intestinal cells, in comparison with L. rhamnosus GG strain, taken as reference. The same behavior has been found for hydrophobicity/auto-aggregation properties. A remarkable antagonistic activity was detected for these isolates not only against spoilage and pathogenic species of food interest, but also against the principal etiological agents of intestinal infections. Indeed, isolated strains impaired spoilage and pathogenic species growth, as well as biofilm formation by gut pathogens. In addition, breast milk strains were characterized for their antibiotic susceptibility, displaying species-specific and strain-specific susceptibility patterns. Finally, to assess their technological potential, the fermentation kinetics and viability of breast milk strains in pasteurized milk were investigated, also including the study of the volatile molecule profiles. In this regard, all the strains pointed out the release of aroma compounds frequently associated with the sensory quality of several dairy products such as acetic acid, diacetyl, acetoin, acetaldehyde. Data here reported point up the high potential of breast-milk-isolated strains as probiotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3506 KiB  
Article
Effects of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on Gut Barrier Function, Proinflammatory Response, ROS Production and Pathogen Inhibition Properties in IPEC-J2—Escherichia coli/Salmonella Typhimurium Co-Culture
by Nikolett Palkovicsné Pézsa, Dóra Kovács, Bence Rácz and Orsolya Farkas
Microorganisms 2022, 10(5), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050936 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3369
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance raises serious concerns worldwide. Probiotics offer a promising alternative to enhance growth promotion in farm animals; however, their mode of action still needs to be elucidated. The IPEC-J2 cell line (porcine intestinal epithelial cells) is an appropriate tool [...] Read more.
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance raises serious concerns worldwide. Probiotics offer a promising alternative to enhance growth promotion in farm animals; however, their mode of action still needs to be elucidated. The IPEC-J2 cell line (porcine intestinal epithelial cells) is an appropriate tool to study the effect of probiotics on intestinal epithelial cells. In our experiments, IPEC-J2 cells were challenged by two gastrointestinal (GI) infection causing agents, Escherichia coli (E. coli) or Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). We focused on determining the effect of pre-, co-, and post-treatment with two probiotic candidates, Bacillus licheniformis or Bacillus subtilis, on the barrier function, proinflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and IL-8) response, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of IPEC-J2 cells, in addition to the adhesion inhibition effect. Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) proved to be anti-inflammatory and had an antioxidant effect under certain treatment combinations, and further effectively inhibited the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria. Interestingly, they had little effect on paracellular permeability. Based on our results, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis are both promising candidates to contribute to the beneficial effects of probiotic multispecies mixtures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5865 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Probiotic Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Canine and Feline Feces
by Ki-Tae Kim, Jin-Woo Kim, Sun-Il Kim, Seonyoung Kim, Trung Hau Nguyen and Chang-Ho Kang
Microorganisms 2021, 9(9), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091971 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4625
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses. It plays an important role in numerous disease states, including chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defenses. It plays an important role in numerous disease states, including chronic kidney disease, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to have prominent antioxidant properties. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory potential of LAB isolated from animals for the efficient use of probiotics with host specificity. Antioxidant activity measurements of sixteen strains revealed that ABTS radical scavenging activities ranged from 26.3 to 57.4%, and DPPH free radical scavenging activities ranged from 4.7 to 13.5%. Based on the antioxidant activity assessment, five strains (Enterococcus faecium MG9003(YH9003), Enterococcus faecium MG9007(YH9007), Lactobacillus reuteri MG9012(YH9012), Lactobacillus fermentum MG9014(YH9014), and Pediococcus pentosaceus MG9015(YH9015)) were selected with the consideration of fermentation productivity (>1 × 109 CFU/g). The selected strains exhibited nitric oxide inhibition and inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase expression. Furthermore, probiotic properties, including intestinal adhesion and stability, were identified. Our results show that the selected animal-derived strains can be effective probiotic candidates for potential effects on animal hosts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 679 KiB  
Article
Honeybees Exposure to Natural Feed Additives: How Is the Gut Microbiota Affected?
by Daniele Alberoni, Loredana Baffoni, Chiara Braglia, Francesca Gaggìa and Diana Di Gioia
Microorganisms 2021, 9(5), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9051009 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4042
Abstract
The role of a balanced gut microbiota to maintain health and prevent diseases is largely established in humans and livestock. Conversely, in honeybees, studies on gut microbiota perturbations by external factors have started only recently. Natural methods alternative to chemical products to preserve [...] Read more.
The role of a balanced gut microbiota to maintain health and prevent diseases is largely established in humans and livestock. Conversely, in honeybees, studies on gut microbiota perturbations by external factors have started only recently. Natural methods alternative to chemical products to preserve honeybee health have been proposed, but their effect on the gut microbiota has not been examined in detail. This study aims to investigate the effect of the administration of a bacterial mixture of bifidobacteria and Lactobacillaceae and a commercial product HiveAliveTM on honeybee gut microbiota. The study was developed in 18 hives of about 2500 bees, with six replicates for each experimental condition for a total of three experimental groups. The absolute abundance of main microbial taxa was studied using qPCR and NGS. The results showed that the majority of the administered strains were detected in the gut. On the whole, great perturbations upon the administration of the bacterial mixture and the plant-based commercial product were not observed in the gut microbiota. Significant variations with respect to the untreated control were only observed for Snodgrassella sp. for the bacterial mixture, Bartonella sp. in HiveAliveTM and Bombilactobacillus sp. for both. Therefore, the studied approaches are respectful of the honeybee microbiota composition, conceivably without compromising the bee nutritional, social and ecological functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 2013 KiB  
Review
Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens: From Isolation and Taxonomy to Probiotic Properties and Applications
by Marina Georgalaki, Georgia Zoumpopoulou, Rania Anastasiou, Maria Kazou and Effie Tsakalidou
Microorganisms 2021, 9(10), 2158; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9102158 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5888
Abstract
One of the main lactic acid bacterial species found in the kefir grain ecosystem worldwide is Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, exhibiting strong auto-aggregation capacity and, therefore, being involved in the mechanism of grain formation. Its occurrence and dominance in kefir grains of various types [...] Read more.
One of the main lactic acid bacterial species found in the kefir grain ecosystem worldwide is Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, exhibiting strong auto-aggregation capacity and, therefore, being involved in the mechanism of grain formation. Its occurrence and dominance in kefir grains of various types of milk and geographical origins have been verified by culture-dependent and independent approaches using multiple growth media and regions of the 16S rRNA gene, respectively, highlighting the importance of their combination for its taxonomic identification. L. kefiranofaciens comprises two subspecies, namely kefiranofaciens and kefirgranum, but only the first one is responsible for the production of kefiran, the water-soluble polysaccharide, which is a basic component of the kefir grain and famous for its technological as well as health-promoting properties. L. kefiranofaciens, although very demanding concerning its growth conditions, can be involved in mechanisms affecting intestinal health, immunomodulation, control of blood lipid levels, hypertension, antimicrobial action, and protection against diabetes and tumors. These valuable bio-functional properties place it among the most exquisite candidates for probiotic use as a starter culture in the production of health-beneficial dairy foods, such as the kefir beverage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics and Prebiotics in Animal Health and Food Safety)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop