Abstract: Lactobacillus johnsonii is a probiotic widely used in food products with unquestionable safety. In recent years, research and application of L. johnsonii in livestock, poultry, and other farm animals have become increasingly in-depth and extensive. However, it lacks spores and shows poor temperature tolerance, which makes it highly susceptible to losing biological activity during high-temperature pelleting processes, especially when used as a feed additive. Meanwhile, factors such as the underdeveloped fermentation production process and the need for different formulations for different application scenarios of products restrict its industrial application. Additionally, as a feed probiotic, current research on L. johnsonii remains largely at the macroscopic level, and the mechanisms underlying its effects on improving animal performance are not yet fully elucidated. This review systematically summarizes L. johnsonii with respect to strain isolation and identification, adaptation to the animal digestive tract environment, biological functional characteristics, application in animal husbandry, and production technology and product forms, with the aim of providing a reference for exploring the feed value of L. johnsonii and promoting its large-scale application in the livestock industry.

Key words: Lactobacillus johnsonii, feed probiotic, biological activity, production technology