In recent years, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has been perpetrated across human medicine, animals destined for zootechnical productions and companion animals. Apart from increasing the resistance rate of numerous microorganisms and generating multi-drug resistance (MDR), the nonrational administration of antibiotics causes sudden changes in the structure of the intestinal microbiota such as dysbiotic phenomena that can have a great clinical significance for both humans and animals. The aim of this review is to describe the state-of-the-art of alternative therapies to the use of antibiotics and their effectiveness in humans and monogastric animals (poultry, pigs, fish, rabbits, dogs and cats). In particular, those molecules (probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics) which have a direct function on the gastrointestinal health are herein critically analysed in the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal diseases or dysbiosis induced by the consumption of antibiotics.

Methimazole (MMI) is often the selected medical treatment for feline hyperthyroidism. However, the onset of MMI-related side effects (MMI-SE) is likely caused by oxidative stress. This study evaluated the dietary supplementation of selected antioxidants in hyperthyroid cats receiving MMI, to reduce MMI-SE. Thirty hyperthyroid client-owned cats were randomly allocated in group M (MMI + placebo) or group M+A (MMI + antioxidants). At different time-points from the enrolment (ET) to the end of the trial (FT), the following information was recorded: clinical findings, complete blood count, serum biochemical parameters, urinalysis, total plasma thyroxine concentrations, determinable reactive oxygen metabolites (dROMs), OXY-adsorbent test values, and oxidative stress index (OSi) values, and MMI-SE. dROMs and OSi values significantly increased from ET to FT in group M and were significantly higher in group M than in group M+A at FT. Likewise, OXY-absorbent test values were significantly higher in group M+A than in group M at FT. Moreover, the occurrence rate of MMI-SE in group M+A was lower than in group M. In conclusion, our results show that the dietary supplementation of antioxidants in hyperthyroid cats receiving MMI exerts a protective effect against oxidative stress, likely contributing to the reduction of MMI-SE.

Chronic intestinal disorders (CID) are characterized by persistent, or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) signs present for at least three weeks. In human medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic GI diseases and includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). On the other hand, the general term chronic enteropathies (CE) is preferred in veterinary medicine. Different therapeutic approaches to these diseases are used in both humans and pets. This review is focused on the use of traditional therapies and nutraceuticals with specific antioxidant properties, for the treatment of CID in humans and animal patients. There is strong evidence of the antioxidant properties of the nutraceuticals included in this review, but few studies report their use for treating CID in humans and none in animals. Despite this fact, the majority of the nutraceuticals described in the present article could be considered as promising alternatives for the regular treatment of CID in human and veterinary medicine.

Feline hyperthyroidism is a clinical syndrome related to an excessive production of thyroid hormones, and it is considered as a spontaneous animal model for human thyrotoxicosis. Many shared features between the feline and the human disease have been identified so far, including pathogenesis, clinical signs, and treatment options. Although methimazole is considered the first-choice drug in both species, several side effects have been described. Furthermore, methimazole could interfere with the oxidative status, already perturbated by the disease. It has been reported in humans that dietary management, mainly through antioxidant supplementation, could mitigate this oxidative burden. The purpose of the review is to describe current therapeutic options in the course of feline hyperthyroidism and to summarize the state of the art relationship between dietary antioxidants administration and the reduction of methimazole side-effects in humans to support the use of this approach also in cats.

The use of probiotics, prebiotics and antioxidants could be found beneficial for dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of our case-control study is to evaluate the synergistic effect of a diet integrated with a supplement containing probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus), prebiotics (fructoligosaccharides) and antioxidants (Olea Europaea extract) on the nutritional status and on serum and urinary parameters of dogs with CKD. A total of 30 dogs classified with IRIS CKD stage 3 were enrolled and randomly assigned to a control (CG, n ¼ 15) and a treated (TG n ¼ 15) group. The trial consisted in a 7-days adaptation period, followed by 90 days where animals in the TR group received the supplement, while in the CG group the placebo. No significant changes in body weight and body condition score were recorded. We recorded a significant improvement of the protein plasmatic level and a decrease in blood phosphorus, systolic pressure, BUN, proteinuria and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio throughout the trial in the TG compared to the CG group. Furthermore, the parameters related to inflammation and oxidative stress (C-reactive protein and Reactive Oxygen Metabolite-derived compound, respectively) were lower in the TG than in the CG group throughout the study. Our results showed that the supplement allows to maintain the correct nutritional status and to improve blood and kidney parameters in dogs with advance stage of CKD. This supplement could be considered as a new nutritional approach for treating this condition. HIGHLIGHTSDiet supplemented with prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants is safe for dogs with CKD. The synergic effect of prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants included in the supplement under study shows the maintenance of a good nutritional status and the improvement of blood and urinary parameters in dogs with CKD.