Functional Prebiotics and Probiotics: Impact on Animal Growth, Development and Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 September 2025 | Viewed by 567

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, University de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: identification and characterization of microbial biomolecules derived from probiotic bacteria; the development of innovative bioprocesses for their production and application in biotechnological and agro-industrial systems
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Guest Editor
Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: proteins production and purification; antimicrobial peptides for ex vivo applications

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Guest Editor
Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, The Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: animals' bacterial microorganisms isolation; infectious diseases; veterinary medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

From an animal health perspective, ongoing global health challenges and the growing issue of antibiotic resistance highlight the urgent need to promote the study of innovative strategies that contribute to preserving the health of various animal species. In this context, prebiotics and probiotics stand out as promising tools, offering sustainable solutions and positioning themselves as alternatives to the excessive use of antibiotics. Thus, this Special Issue will focus on exploring novel topics related to the impact of functional nutraceuticals applied to companions, livestock, and wildlife animals. Its scope will encompass research on the modulation of gut microbiota, their impact on the immune system, optimization of key physiological functions, prevention of infectious diseases, and their effects on zootechnical parameters. In addition, cutting-edge advances in personalized product design will be also covered, with a focus on encapsulated additives delivery systems, along with supplementary biotechnology strategies using circular economy principles.

Prof. Dr. Ricardo Pinheiro de Souza Oliveira
Dr. Taís Mayumi Kuniyoshi
Dr. Carlos Emilio Cabrera Matajira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • animal health
  • antibiotic resistance
  • prebiotics
  • probiotics
  • sustainable solutions
  • gut microbiota
  • immune system
  • infectious diseases
  • biotechnological strategies
  • circular economy principles

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1416 KiB  
Article
Bacillus spp. Potentiate the Virulence and Intracellular Invasion of A. paragallinarum in Chickens
by Jiajia Zhu, Ying Liu, Ting Gao, Yunsheng Chen, Keli Yang, Wei Liu, Kui Zhu and Danna Zhou
Animals 2025, 15(14), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142076 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Coinfection poses severe threats to poultry health, particularly due to the complexity and resilience of multispecies interactions, increasing the difficulty of treatment. Haemophilus spp., a heterotrophic bacterium, heavily relies on extracellular growth factors acquired from other organisms or its surrounding environment. Although coinfections [...] Read more.
Coinfection poses severe threats to poultry health, particularly due to the complexity and resilience of multispecies interactions, increasing the difficulty of treatment. Haemophilus spp., a heterotrophic bacterium, heavily relies on extracellular growth factors acquired from other organisms or its surrounding environment. Although coinfections by Avibacterium paragallinarum and Bacillus have been reported, the underlying mechanism of the cooperative interaction remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the growth-promoting properties and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide production of some Bacillus species, including probiotic Bacillus, to evaluate the feasibility of A. paragallinarum coinfection in vitro. Meanwhile, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and population dynamics of cocultured Bacillus and A. paragallinarum to assess the effect of bacterial interactions on antibiotic efficacy. Additionally, we demonstrated that B. cereus aggravates rhinitis symptoms in chickens infected with A. paragallinarum. Our findings reveal that Bacillus spp.-derived metabolites sustain A. paragallinarum growth and enhance its survival, thereby highlighting the infection risks associated with Bacillus colonization in the respiratory tract. Full article
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