The gut health of livestock and poultry is of utmost importance as it significantly impacts their growth performance, disease resistance, and product quality. With the increasing restrictions on antibiotic use in animal husbandry, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics (PPSP) have emerged as promising alternatives. This review comprehensively summarizes the roles of PPSP in promoting gut health in livestock and poultry. Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces, modulate the gut microbiota, enhance the gut barrier, and regulate the immune system. Prebiotics, including fructooligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, and inulin, selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria and produce short-chain fatty acids, thereby improving gut health. Synbiotics, combinations of probiotics and prebiotics, have shown enhanced effects in improving gut microbiota and animal performance. Postbiotics, consisting of inanimate microorganisms and their constituents, restore the gut microbiota balance and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Additionally, the review looks ahead to the future development of PPSP, emphasizing the importance of encapsulation technology and personalized strategies to maximize their efficacy. Our aim is to provide scientific insights for PPSP to improve the gut health of livestock and poultry.
Yue et al. (Tue,) studied this question.