Effects of Probiotics and Their Derived Bioactive Compounds on Host Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 742

Special Issue Editor

College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
Interests: nutrition; gut microbiota; gut health; metabolic disorder
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The host intestinal is a bustling ecosystem inhabited by trillions of microbes, collectively known as the gut microbiota. This intricate community is now recognized as a key player in modulating host health and disease susceptibility. Probiotics, live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts, have been widely studied for their capacity to modulate the gut microbiota and exert immunomodulatory effects.

This Special Issue aims to dissect the multifaceted roles of probiotics and their derived bioactive compounds, such as bacteriocins, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids, and extracellular vesicles, in influencing the host metabolism and immune system. It will cover a range of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

Immunomodulation by Probiotics: The mechanisms by which probiotics interact with the host's immune cells, leading to the modulation of immune responses and the enhancement of the gut barrier’s function.

Bioactive Compounds from Probiotics: A focus on the production of bioactive molecules like SCFAs, bacteriocins, bile acids, and extracellular vesicles, their impact on gut homeostasis, and their potential as therapeutic agents.

Application Potential: The translational potential of probiotics in managing various diseases, including gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic syndromes, and immune-mediated conditions.

Safety and Tolerability: Addressing the safety profile of probiotics, including potential risks and the need for strain-specific evaluation to ensure beneficial effects without adverse outcomes.

Future Directions: Exploring the frontiers of probiotic research, such as postbiotic effects, personalized probiotic therapies, and the integration of omics technologies in probiotic studies.

Dr. Shiyu Tao
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • probiotic
  • bioactive compounds
  • short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
  • bacteriocins
  • bile acids
  • extracellular vesicles
  • host metabolism
  • immune

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 9018 KiB  
Article
The Alleviative Effects of Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951 on the Reproductive Toxicity of Caenorhabditis elegans Induced by Polystyrene Microplastics
by Chengmei Li, Lina Zhao, Jiajia Fan, Wentong Qi, Xuan Li, Yuwan Li, Pingping Tian, Ying Wu and Shaobin Gu
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030497 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 476
Abstract
The increased emission and accumulation of microplastics pose a severe threat to humans and the environment. As effective biological agents for alleviating the effects of microplastics, the mechanism of action of probiotics remains unclear. In this study, based on the successful establishment of [...] Read more.
The increased emission and accumulation of microplastics pose a severe threat to humans and the environment. As effective biological agents for alleviating the effects of microplastics, the mechanism of action of probiotics remains unclear. In this study, based on the successful establishment of a reproductive virulence model of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), we explored the effect and mechanism of Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951 (W. coagulans CGMCC 9951) on the reproductive toxicity of C. elegans. Our results showed that the gonad area and the number of offspring increased but the number of germ cells undergoing apoptosis decreased by 14% and 24% in C. elegans, after CGMCC 9951 treatments. Antioxidant test results showed that CGMCC 9951 increased the activity of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and the content of Glutathione (GSH) in C. elegans. In addition, it was found by qPCR and mutagenesis experiments verified that CGMCC 9951 alleviated reproductive toxicity through the DNA checkpoint signaling pathway. Our findings suggested that CGMCC 9951 could alleviate the reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in C. elegans by enhancing antioxidant capacity and inhibiting DNA damage checkpoint signaling pathway. The above results suggest that probiotics can be used as a potential approach to alleviate the reproductive toxicity induced by polystyrene microplastics in humans. Full article
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