This book discusses the role of probiotics and prebiotics in maintaining the health status of a broad range of animal groups used for food production. It also highlights the use of beneficial microorganisms as protective agents in animal derived foods. The book provides essential information on the characterization and definition of probiotics on the basis of recently released guidelines and reflecting the latest trends in bacterial taxonomy. Last but not least, it discusses the concept of "e;dead"e; probiotics and their benefits to animal health in detail. The book will benefit all professors, students, researchers and practitioners in academia and industry whose work involves biotechnology, veterinary sciences or food production.

1) Probiotics and prebiotics: an overview on recent trends (Tannock G.W., University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Pot B. Center for Infection and Immunity, Lille, Institute Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France).- 2) Characterization of probiotics for taxonomic purpose (Biavati B., University of Malta, Department of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, Malta).- 3) Role of the gut microbiota in health and disease (Holzapfel W.H., School of Life Sciences, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, South Korea).- 4) Protective cultures for the safety of animal derived foods (Rovira J.  and Melero B., Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain).- 5) Probiotics and prebiotics for the health of monogastric farm animals (poultry, pig, horses).- (Kritas S. K., Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Scholl of Health Science, Aristotele University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Akoy R., School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK).- 6) Probiotics and prebiotics for the health of polygastric farm animals (Azad E., Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada).- 7) Probiotics and prebiotics for the health of companion animals (Ridgway M.D., University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, USA).- 8) Probiotics and prebiotics in aquaculture (Pandiyan P., CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai 608502, Tamil Nadu, India).- 9) Probiotics for bees' health (Gaggia Francesca, Baffoni Loredana, Alberoni Daniele, Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy).- 10) Dead or live probiotics for animal health? (Sant'Ana A., Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Brazil).- 11) Conclusion and future perspectives (Diana Di Gioia, Department of Agricultural Science, University of Bologna, Italy; Bruno Biavati, University of Malta, Department of Earth Systems, Division of Rural Sciences and Food Systems, Malta).