There is increasing evidence demonstrating the beneficial impact of probiotics administration on intestine homeostasis, particularly in the context of managing or preventing inflammatory diseases, and mainly inflammation-mediated intestinal diseases. It was established that the inflamed gut microbiota influence the rapid growth of intestinal inflammatory disease incidence, triggering a cascade of inflammatory pathways involving interleukins and cytokines. Probiotics provide anti-inflammatory responses by modulating different signal pathways, including the expansion of the T-regulatory response and the down-regulation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-related cytokines while augmenting interleukin-10 levels. A new concept of postbiotic is emerging as an important microorganism-derived tool to promote health, intended as a probiotic-derived molecule, including the mixture of metabolites secreted into the culture medium (referred to as cell-free culture supernatants, CFS) or released together with cell structural components, upon cell lysis or inactivation. Indeed, postbiotics often share the same health potential as probiotics, showing some advantages over the limitations of the latter.

The primary purpose of this Research Topic is to outline the beneficial effects of probiotics and postbiotics on gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, including intestinal inflammatory-related disorders such as diabetes mellitus and obesity. The potential works should consider the effect of their administration in animal models and/or in preclinical and clinical studies by evaluating the possible outcome in both the short and long term. There is still a lack of clear clinical recommendations in specific clinical situations (i.e. dosages, strain selection, optimum administration frequency) and compelling evidence from clinical trials for preventing intestinal bacterial infection. These studies should also provide the characterization of the most appropriate formulation, whether it is a probiotic or a postbiotic, in terms of clinical (safe origin, antibiotic sensibility, antimicrobial efficacy, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity, suitability for immunocompromised and allergic patients), technological (easier handling and storage, stability and feasibility of large-scale production), and economic (low production costs) aspects.

Original Research articles, Systematic Reviews with a meta-analysis, exceptional Case Reports, Perspectives, Brief Research Reports, Opinions, or Methods considering the effect of the administration of probiotics/postbiotics in animal models and/or preclinical and clinical studies of inflammation-mediated intestinal diseases or intestinal inflammation-related disorders are desirable. These will also include:

i) studies combining probiotics or postbiotics with existing therapies that could evaluate the improvement of the therapy side effects and/or drug tolerance in order to suggest their use as therapeutic adjuvants

ii) studies comparing the advantages and efficacy of postbiotics with live probiotics

iii) studies focused on the possible involved action mechanisms of probiotics/postbiotics in the real human intestine for targeted therapies

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Frontiers in Medicine

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