Special Issue "Modify Gastrointestinal Environment in Livestock to Contrast and Prevent Pathogens Infections and Dysbiosis: Focus on Microbiota"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Clinical Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Claudio Forte
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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of TurinDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: animal nutrition; animal welfare; livestock
Dr. Francesca Romana Massacci
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche "Togo Rosati", Perugia, Italy
Interests: microbiota; antimicrobial resistance; swine; poultry; livestock

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting the submission of reviews and original research papers presenting basic and applied research on determinants amending the intestinal ecosystem and microbiome characterization to prevent dysbiosis, pathogen infections, and the risk of zoonosis.

In the last decades, several studies have been focused on implementing the knowledge of the gut microbiome impact on animal health, through different technologies such as the 16S approach and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Microbiomes and their effects on host phenotypes and genotypes and to limit the risk of zoonosis infection have emerged as major factors to be considered worldwide. It is well-established that microbiota composition can be modified to improve performances. Nutritional strategies have been investigated to plan ad hoc interventions to limit management issues concerning dysbiosis and the spread of pathogen outbreaks on farms. More recently, the role of the intestinal microbiota as a reservoir of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, the impact of antibiotics in their selection of MDR bacteria, and the potential use of fecal microbiota transplantation have started to be explored.

This Special Issue is aimed at acquiring new knowledge about the topics of interest and stimulating a discussion to create new baselines for future studies on the microbiota and their implications in livestock

Areas of interest include the following: microbiota studies concerning dysbiosis and re-establishing the intestinal eubiosis; The effect of nutritional interventions (phytogenic feed additives, prebiotics, probiotics, and next-generation probiotics) on animal health and welfare (performances, reproduction, immunity, disease, intestinal ecosystem); Microbiota description during an infectious disease outbreak and possible correlation with host-genotype; Microbiome characterization and nutrition/management practices in different farming systems; Additives and novel ingredients (prebiotics, probiotics, next-generation probiotics); Antibiotic-resistant bacteria; One health approaches; Infection carried out by zoonosis bacteria.

Prof. Dr. Claudio Forte
Dr. Francesca Romana Massacci
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 papers will be 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 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 1800 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

  • Intestinal ecosystem
  • Livestock
  • Gut
  • Microbiota
  • Nutrition
  • Pathogens
  • Genetics
  • Dysbiosis
  • Eubiosis
  • Management practices
  • Zoonosis
  • Animal Production

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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Article
Characterization of Bacterial Microbiota Composition along the Gastrointestinal Tract in Rabbits
Animals 2021, 11(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010031 - 26 Dec 2020
Viewed by 821
Abstract
The microbiota is extremely important for the animal’s health, but, to date, knowledge on the intestinal microbiota of the rabbit is very limited. This study aimed to describe bacterial populations that inhabit the different gastrointestinal compartments of the rabbit: stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, [...] Read more.
The microbiota is extremely important for the animal’s health, but, to date, knowledge on the intestinal microbiota of the rabbit is very limited. This study aimed to describe bacterial populations that inhabit the different gastrointestinal compartments of the rabbit: stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, and colon. Samples of the luminal content from all compartments of 14 healthy New White Zealand rabbits were collected at slaughter and analyzed using next generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing. The findings uncovered considerable differences in the taxonomic levels among the regions of the digestive tract. Firmicutes were the most abundant phylum in all of the sections (45.9%), followed by Bacteroidetes in the large intestine (38.9%) and Euryarchaeota in the foregut (25.9%). Four clusters of bacterial populations were observed along the digestive system: (i) stomach, (ii) duodenum and jejunum, (iii) ileum, and (iv) large intestine. Caecum and colon showed the highest richness and diversity in bacterial species, while the highest variability was found in the upper digestive tract. Knowledge of the physiological microbiota of healthy rabbits could be important for preserving the health and welfare of the host as well as for finding strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota in order to also promote productive performance. Full article
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Review

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Review
Recent Advances in Understanding the Influence of Zinc, Copper, and Manganese on the Gastrointestinal Environment of Pigs and Poultry
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051276 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 784
Abstract
Zinc, copper, and manganese are prominent essential trace (or micro) minerals, being required in small, but adequate, amounts by pigs and poultry for normal biological functioning. Feed is a source of trace minerals for pigs and poultry but variable bioavailability in typical feed [...] Read more.
Zinc, copper, and manganese are prominent essential trace (or micro) minerals, being required in small, but adequate, amounts by pigs and poultry for normal biological functioning. Feed is a source of trace minerals for pigs and poultry but variable bioavailability in typical feed ingredients means that supplementation with low-cost oxides and sulphates has become common practice. Such trace mineral supplementation often provides significant ‘safety margins’, while copper and zinc have been supplemented at supra-nutritional (or pharmacological) levels to improve health and/or growth performance. Regulatory mechanisms ensure that much of this oversupply is excreted by the host into the environment, which can be toxic to plants and microorganisms or promote antimicrobial resistance in microbes, and thus supplying trace minerals more precisely to pigs and poultry is necessary. The gastrointestinal tract is thus central to the maintenance of trace mineral homeostasis and the provision of supra-nutritional or pharmacological levels is associated with modification of the gut environment, such as the microbiome. This review, therefore, considers recent advances in understanding the influence of zinc, copper, and manganese on the gastrointestinal environment of pigs and poultry, including more novel, alternative sources seeking to maintain supra-nutritional benefits with minimal environmental impact. Full article
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