Pediococcus pentosaceus ZZ61 enhances growth performance and pathogenic resistance of silkworm Bombyx mori by regulating gut microbiota and metabolites

[Display omitted] •P. pentosaceus ZZ61 enhances growth performance of the economic insect silkworm.•P. pentosaceus ZZ61 protects the silkworm against pathogenic infection.•P. pentosaceus ZZ61 affects the silkworm gut microbiota.•The shifts of gut microbiota by ZZ61 further alters the levels of gut metabolites. Probiotics have attracted considerable attention in animal husbandry due to their positive effect on animal growth and health. This study aimed to screen candidate probiotic strain promoting the growth and health of silkworm and reveal the potential mechanisms. A novel probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus strain (ZZ61) substantially promoted body weight gain, feed efficiency, and silk yield. These effects were likely mediated by changes in the intestinal digestive enzyme activity and nutrient provisioning (e.g., B vitamins) of the host, improving nutrient digestion and assimilation. Additionally, P. pentosaceus produced antimicrobial compounds and increased the antioxidant capacity to protect the host against pathogenic infection. Furthermore, P. pentosaceus affected the gut microbiome and altered the levels of gut metabolites (e.g., glycine and glycerophospholipids), which in turn promotes host nutrition and health. This study contributes to an improved understanding of the interactions between probiotic and host and promotes probiotic utilization in sericulture.