Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Applied Microbiology
Special Issues
Microbiome- and Host-Mediated Effects of Prebiotics in Foods and Feeds
share announcement

Microbiome- and Host-Mediated Effects of Prebiotics in Foods and Feeds

A special issue of Applied Microbiology (ISSN 2673-8007).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 37

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ian Connerton

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Interests: foodborne disease; bacteriology; bacteriophages; probiotics; prebiotics; antimicrobial resistance; host-pathogen interactions; enzymology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Adam Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Microbiology, Brewing and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Interests: gut microbiomes; prebiotics; probiotics; bioremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Prebiotics are dietary components that can benefit human and animal health. A key characteristic of prebiotics is that they can pass through the upper intestinal tract to selectively increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the hind gut. Microbiome-mediated effects typically include the production of short-chain fatty acids that act as nutritional substrates for gut epithelial cells and modify the expression of genes associated with inflammatory responses. These short chain fatty acids can also affect remote tissues via adsorption and circulation in the blood. Prebiotics can also function in conjunction with the gut microbiota to suppress pathogen challenge and, at a cellular level, to suppress inappropriate pro-inflammatory responses and maintain gut integrity at tight junctions. Native fibre represents an integral prebiotic component of human and animal diets. However, dietary supplements are now available that modify the existing microbiota to promote human health or enhance the welfare and the productivity of livestock.

We invite contributions to this Special Issue that investigate the application and development of prebiotics in foods and feeds with reference to the membership and modification of gut microbial communities.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Microorganisms.

Prof. Dr. Ian Connerton
Dr. Adam Lee
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 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. Applied Microbiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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

  • prebiotics
  • gut microbiota
  • gut health
  • gut architecture
  • gut immunomodulation
  • beneficial microbes
  • oligosaccharides
  • microbiome manipulation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

25 pages, 1276 KiB  
Review
Prebiotic Galacto-Oligosaccharide and Xylo-Oligosaccharide Feeds in Pig Production: Microbiota Manipulation, Pathogen Suppression, Gut Architecture and Immunomodulatory Effects
by Adam Lee, James S. Stanley, Kenneth H. Mellits and Ian F. Connerton
Appl. Microbiol. 2025, 5(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol5020042 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 47
Abstract
Gastrointestinal health is critical to the productivity and welfare of pigs. The transition from milk to plant-based feeds represents an intestinal challenge at wean that can result in dysbiosis and pathogen susceptibility. Prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are non-digestible carbohydrates that can [...] Read more.
Gastrointestinal health is critical to the productivity and welfare of pigs. The transition from milk to plant-based feeds represents an intestinal challenge at wean that can result in dysbiosis and pathogen susceptibility. Prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) are non-digestible carbohydrates that can reach the hind gut to promote gut health, either by enhancing the abundance of beneficial members of the intestinal microbiota or via direct interaction with the gut epithelium. Amongst the changes in the intestinal microbiota, GOS and XOS promote populations of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus. SCFAs benefit the host by providing nutritional support for the gut, enhance intestinal barrier function and regulate inflammatory responses. By modifying the indigenous microbiota, prebiotics offer a sustainable alternative to the use of antimicrobial growth promoters that have led to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and represent a growing threat to public health. This review examines microbial and cellular mechanisms whereby prebiotic feed supplements can support the development of a diverse and robust microbiota associated with a healthy and productive digestive system over the lifetime of the animal, and which is in sharp contrast to the development of dysbiosis often associated with existing antimicrobial treatments. The application of prebiotic feed supplements should be tailored to their modes of action and the developmental challenges in production, such as the provision of GOS to late gestational sows, GOS and XOS to pre-weaning piglets and GOS and XOS to growing/fattening pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiome- and Host-Mediated Effects of Prebiotics in Foods and Feeds)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop