Probiotics: From Quality Assessment to Microbial Ecology

Dear Colleagues,

The use of selected microbial cultures to prevent or treat pathologic conditions has gained a wide popularity, leading to the development of a constantly increasing number of foods and supplements (probiotics, sensu strictu) and medical applications (more properly defined as live biotherapeutics).

This Special Issue of Microorganisms focuses on the ecological and microbiological aspects related to probiotic products and their impact on host-associated microbiotas. We invite you to send contributions on the most recent scientific research on probiotics, including:

- microbiological aspects of probiotics and live biotherapeutic formulations (e.g., assessment of microbial viability and taxonomic quality of probiotic commercial products);

- probiotic persistence in and colonization of host’s ecological niches (e.g., probiotic recovery studies);

- modulation of host-associated microbiotas and microbiomes by probiotics;

- impact of probiotics on the microbial metabolism of food components in the host’s gastro-intestinal tract (including the oral cavity);

- isolation and characterization of next-generation probiotics to be employed as live biotherapeutics.

This Special Issue is not restricted to reports describing the oral intake of probiotics and the related effects on the gastrointestinal tract, but also comprises studies on the topical administration of probiotics, for instance skin and vaginal applications. In addition, studies on inactivated microorganisms (paraprobiotics) or their secreted products (postbiotics) are also welcome.

Prof. Simone Guglielmetti
Dr. Valentina Taverniti
Guest Editors

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