Roles of Probiotics in Animal Health

Abstract

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms consumed by humans and animals that affect the intestinal microflora qualitatively or quantitatively or trigger the beneficial effects of the immune system. The discovery of probiotics and the beginning of studies date back to the end of the 19th century. Afterwards, these studies continue on the microorganisms used as probiotics, selection criteria and probiotic microorganisms in the animal microbiota. In today's probiotics are used as immune system modulation and protection against pathogenic microorganisms at the veterinary medicine. In recent studies against gastrointestinal system disorders in cats, dogs and poultry and on the immune system before or after treatment, probiotic applications have been found to be successful in ruminants, especially in mastitis cases. Due to important problems caused by the use of antibiotics in animal breeding, such as the increase in populations of antibiotic resistant bacteria, it seems possible to use the latest probiotic applications as an alternative to antibiotics, especially for prophylaxis. In this review, the effectiveness of probiotic microorganisms on the basis of diseases and their effects on the immune system are discussed together with current studies.