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Background : This review investigates the impact of bioactive molecules produced by probiotics on child health, focusing on their roles in modulating gut microbiota, enhancing immune function, and supporting overall development. Key metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacteriocins, exopolysaccharides (EPSs), vitamins, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), are highlighted for their ability to maintain gut health, regulate inflammation, and support neurodevelopment. Objectives : The aim of this review is to examine the mechanisms of action and clinical evidence supporting the use of probiotics and postbiotics in pediatric healthcare, with a focus on promoting optimal growth, development, and overall health in children. Methods : The review synthesizes findings from clinical studies that investigate the effects of probiotics and their metabolites on pediatric health. The focus is on specific probiotics and their ability to influence gut health, immune responses, and developmental outcomes. Results : Clinical studies demonstrate that specific probiotics and their metabolites can reduce gastrointestinal disorders, enhance immune responses, and decrease the incidence of allergies and respiratory infections in pediatric populations. Additionally, postbiotics-bioactive compounds from probiotic fermentation-offer promising benefits, such as improved gut barrier function, reduced inflammation, and enhanced nutrient absorption, while presenting fewer safety concerns compared to live probiotics. Conclusions : By examining the mechanisms of action and clinical evidence, this review underscores the potential of integrating probiotics and postbiotics into pediatric healthcare strategies to promote optimal growth, development, and overall health in children.

The gut microbiota influences the phenotype and fitness of a host; however, limited information is currently available on the diversity and functions of the gut microbiota in wild animals. Therefore, we herein examined the diversity, composition, and potential functions of the gut microbiota in three Sceloporus lizards: Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, and S. grammicus, inhabiting different habitats in a mountainous ecosystem. The gut bacterial community of S. bicanthalis from alpine grasslands at 4,150‍ ‍m a.s.l. exhibited greater taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional alpha diversities than its sister species S. aeneus from cornfields and human-induced grasslands at 2,600‍ ‍m‍ ‍a.s.l. Bacteria of the genus Blautia and metabolic functions related to the degradation of aromatic compounds were more abundant in S. bicanthalis than in S. aeneus, whereas Oscillibacter and predicted functions related to amino acid metabolism and fermentation were more abundant in S. aeneus. The structure of the dominant and most prevalent bacteria, i.e., the core microbiota, was similar between the sister species from different habitats, but differed between S. grammicus and S. aeneus cohabiting at 2,600‍ ‍m‍ ‍a.s.l. and between S. grammicus and S. bicanthalis cohabiting at 4,150‍ ‍m a.s.l. These results suggest that phylogenetic relatedness defines the core microbiota, while the transient, i.e., non-core, microbiota is influenced by environmental differences in the habitats. Our comparisons between phylogenetically close species provide further evidence for the specialized and complex associations between hosts and the gut microbiota as well as insights into the roles of phylogeny and ecological factors as drivers of the gut microbiota in wild vertebrates.