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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Probiotics, Pebiotics and Pet Health
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Probiotics, Pebiotics and Pet Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 2457

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bing Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: probiotics; prebiotics; gut health; pet nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lihong Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: microorganisms and biological enzymes; poultry nutrition; nutrition and metabolism of lipid; metabolism and biodegradation of urgent food and feed contaminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Probiotics and prebiotics can be valuable additions to a pet's diet, offering significant support for digestive health, immune function, and overall well-being. There is increasing interest in the clinical potential of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics in modulating pet health. Understanding the application and mechanisms of probiotics and prebiotics in pets is crucial for unraveling the intricate relationships among these components, dietary nutrition, gut microbiota, and pet health. Investigating these complex interactions opens new avenues for promoting pet health and preventing diseases through personalized nutrition and microbiome-targeted interventions. Furthermore, such research will provide robust scientific evidence to support the future application of probiotics and prebiotics in pet care.

As the Guest Editor of this Special Issue, we warmly invite you to contribute your perspective articles, original research articles, review articles, and short communications that explore new insights into the interplay among probiotics, prebiotics, the gut microbiome, pet nutrition, and metabolism. Additionally, submissions highlighting innovations in methodologies and technologies for studying pet nutrition or related disease prevention are highly encouraged. Your contributions will help advance our understanding of this dynamic field and pave the way for innovative approaches to enhancing pet health.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Microbiology Research.

Dr. Bing Han
Dr. Lihong Zhao
Guest Editors

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

  • gut microbiome
  • prebiotics
  • probiotics
  • pet nutrition
  • dysbiosis
  • host–microbe interactions
  • microbial bioactive
  • microbial therapy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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20 pages, 4309 KB  
Article
A Novel Lactobacillus acidophilus Strain Isolated from a 2-Month-Old Shiba Inu: In Vitro Probiotic Evaluation Safety Assessment in Mice and Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis
by Huiming Huang, Xiaoling Tang, Yichuan Zhang, Mengyao Chen and Min Wen
Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 2095; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092095 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 300
Abstract
Owing to their remarkable biological activities and health benefits, probiotics have gained widespread application in enhancing pet health and welfare. Host-derived probiotics are considered optimal due to their unique digestive tract environments. This study isolated Lactobacillus acidophilus L1 from the feces of a [...] Read more.
Owing to their remarkable biological activities and health benefits, probiotics have gained widespread application in enhancing pet health and welfare. Host-derived probiotics are considered optimal due to their unique digestive tract environments. This study isolated Lactobacillus acidophilus L1 from the feces of a 2-month-old Shiba Inu puppy and conducted a comprehensive evaluation of its potential as a probiotic candidate for pet health. Strain L1 demonstrated high tolerance to acidic conditions (survival rates of 90.41%, 92.90% and 98.81% at pH 2, 2.5, and 3.0, respectively) and bile salts (survival rates of 98.05%, 95.68%, and 82.21% at 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% concentrations, respectively). Adhesion to Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells reached 38.33%, with hydrophobicity of 97.81% and auto-aggregation of 32.28%. L1 also displayed pronounced antioxidant activity, with DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of 71.15% and 83.20%. Both the bacterial suspension and the cell-free supernatant had potent inhibition of pathogenic bacteria, while the strain showed a non-hemolytic phenotype and remained sensitive to clinically relevant antibiotics (e.g., penicillin). On the other hand, animal experiments conducted in ICR mice (randomly divided into four groups) demonstrated that oral administration of L1 had no toxic effects on the mice and increased serum SOD and CAT levels, while reducing MDA levels. Furthermore, whole-genome sequencing revealed that L1 is 2,106,895 bp in size and contains 2098 coding sequences, two CRISPR arrays, ten genomic islands, and two prophage regions. Collectively, the in vitro and in vivo data presented here indicate that L. acidophilus L1, originally isolated from canine feces, supports further evaluation as a candidate strain for incorporation into functional pet foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics, Pebiotics and Pet Health)
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34 pages, 2961 KB  
Systematic Review
Effects of Postbiotic Administration on Canine Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Diego Paul Bonel-Ayuso, Javier Pineda-Pampliega, Paloma Martinez-Alesón García, Montserrat Fernandez-Muela, Jesús de la Fuente, Paloma Maria Garcia Fernandez and Beatriz Isabel Redondo
Microorganisms 2025, 13(7), 1572; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13071572 - 3 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1900
Abstract
Postbiotics—defined in 2021 by the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as preparations of inactivated microorganisms and/or their components that confer health benefits to the host—are a promising tool in veterinary medicine. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated their types, mechanisms [...] Read more.
Postbiotics—defined in 2021 by the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as preparations of inactivated microorganisms and/or their components that confer health benefits to the host—are a promising tool in veterinary medicine. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated their types, mechanisms of action, and physiological effects in dogs. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to 10 October 2024. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed trials in dogs or mechanistic studies on postbiotics; studies in other species or without peer review were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed when appropriate. Of 157 records, 69 met the inclusion criteria, including 13 in vivo studies in dogs. Meta-analyses of selected outcomes showed no statistically significant differences between postbiotic and control groups. Evidence is limited by small sample sizes, strain heterogeneity, and varied study designs. Despite nonsignificant results, existing evidence from other species suggests that postbiotics improve the gut microbiota composition, modulate immune and inflammatory responses, reduce oxidative stress, and aid in the treatment of chronic conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Taken together with their potential role as an alternative to antimicrobial use, these findings highlight the need for further research in canine health to support the use of postbiotics in the treatment of common canine diseases, either as a standalone therapy or in combination with existing therapeutic options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotics, Pebiotics and Pet Health)
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