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: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 10
Special Issue Editor
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 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. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
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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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