“…Probiotic supplementation is another strategy based on natural preparations worth mentioning in RTI prophylaxis. The beneficial effect of probiotic strains on the duration and severity of RTIs, including Rhinovirus , Influenza , RSV, and S. pneumoniae infections, has been long studied and established [ 181 , 182 , 183 ]. It is owed to several mechanisms, among which the most important are (1) immunomodulation—probiotic bacteria comprising immunostimulatory constituents such as peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid, Toll-like receptor ligands, and muramyl dipeptide; their use leads to an increase in the level of type I interferons, the number and activity of natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and IgA-expressing B cells in the colon and lymph nodes, and the level of specific antibodies in the lungs [ 184 , 185 ]; (2) production of antimicrobial substances (lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins) [ 185 ]; (3) competitive adhesion of probiotic bacteria on the sites of potential colonization of pathogenic bacteria [ 186 ], and (4) interaction with receptors, binding domains, and suppression of toxin-mediated responses [ 186 ].…”