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Animals
Special Issues
Next-Generation Probiotics and Postbiotics in Animal Health: From Mechanisms to...
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Next-Generation Probiotics and Postbiotics in Animal Health: From Mechanisms to Applications

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 903

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ming-Ju Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, No. 50, Lane 155, Section 3, Keelung Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan
Interests: next-generation probiotics; postbiotics; omics technologies; companion animal; farm animal (research interests focus on the development of next-generation probiotics and postbiotics using omics technologies, with applications in companion and farm animal health)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Next-generation probiotics (NGPs) are host-adapted or novel microbial strains identified through advanced microbiome and omics technologies, developed to deliver more targeted and consistent benefits compared with conventional probiotics. Postbiotics, as defined by the ISAPP, are preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer health benefits to the host, offering key advantages in stability, safety, and regulatory acceptance. Together, NGPs and postbiotics represent innovative approaches to improve gut health, productivity, and welfare in diverse animal species, including livestock, aquaculture, and companion animals, while reducing reliance on antibiotics. Despite these opportunities, significant challenges remain, such as mechanistic validation, scalable formulation technologies, and harmonized regulatory frameworks across regions.

This Special Issue, ‘Next-Generation Probiotics and Postbiotics in Animal Health: From Mechanisms to Applications’, aims to bridge fundamental insights with practical applications. We welcome contributions on host–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions, immune modulation, metabolic regulation, and omics-driven approaches. Studies on field validation, industrial application, safety assessment, and regulatory perspectives are especially encouraged, as they will provide valuable knowledge to support the sustainable integration of these innovations in animal health.

Prof. Dr. Ming-Ju Chen
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • next-generation probiotics
  • postbiotics
  • gut microbiome
  • immune modulation
  • host–microbe interactions
  • metabolomics
  • antibiotic alternatives
  • animal welfare
  • livestock
  • aquaculture
  • companion animals

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1479 KB  
Article
Orally Administered Porcine Intestinal Lactobacilli Improve the Respiratory Innate Immune Response Against Streptococcus pneumoniae
by Kohtaro Fukuyama, Solange Cisterna-Vergara, Ayelen Antonella Baillo, María José Lorenzo Pisarello, Weichen Gong, Keita Nishiyama, Julio Villena and Haruki Kitazawa
Animals 2026, 16(5), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16050825 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 476
Abstract
Background: Respiratory bacterial infections represent a major health challenge in swine production, highlighting the need for novel immunomodulatory strategies that enhance host resistance. In this study, we investigated whether porcine intestinal lactobacilli could modulate the gut–lung axis and improve respiratory innate immunity in [...] Read more.
Background: Respiratory bacterial infections represent a major health challenge in swine production, highlighting the need for novel immunomodulatory strategies that enhance host resistance. In this study, we investigated whether porcine intestinal lactobacilli could modulate the gut–lung axis and improve respiratory innate immunity in a mouse model of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, as a surrogate of Streptococcus suis pneumonia. Methods: Three strains of Ligilactobacillus salivarius (LAFF998, LAFF1071, and LAFF1095) were orally administered to Swiss mice prior to pneumococcal challenge. The resistance to the infection, the lung damage and the respiratory innate immune response were evaluated. Results: Only strain LAFF998 significantly reduced pulmonary bacterial loads, prevented bacteremia, and attenuated lung injury. This protective effect was associated with selective modulation of respiratory immunity, characterized by reduced neutrophilic inflammation, increased lymphocyte recruitment, and enhanced activation of alveolar macrophages expressing MHC-II. LAFF998 markedly increased the production of IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-27 in the respiratory tract, without inducing excessive inflammatory damage. Ex vivo and in vitro analyses confirmed that alveolar macrophages from LAFF998-treated mice exhibited a primed phenotype with heightened cytokine responses to pneumococcal stimulation. In contrast, strains LAFF1071 and LAFF1095 failed to confer protection or significantly modulate respiratory immune responses. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a strict strain-dependent effect among porcine L. salivarius isolates and identify LAFF998 as a potent immunobiotic capable of enhancing respiratory innate immunity through the gut–lung axis. This work supports further studies of LAFF998 as an immunobiotic strategy for the prevention of respiratory infections in pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Next-Generation Probiotics and Postbiotics in Animal Health: From Mechanisms to Applications)
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