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Background/Objectives: The role of the intestinal microbiota in gastroenterological diseases has gained increasing relevance in general medicine. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of Italian general practitioners regarding gut microbiota, as well as the clinical applications of probiotics and prebiotics. Methods: The survey research involved 457 Italian general practitioners, who anonymously filled an online structured questionnaire. Results: Most respondents identified antibiotics, diet, gastrointestinal infections, and stress as factors that can modulate the gut microbiota, while a smaller proportion recognized the role of physical activity. A comparable number acknowledged the influence of obesity, smoking, and immunosuppressant drugs. Although most participants correctly defined probiotics, the concept of prebiotics was less widely understood. Probiotics were primarily prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome, suspected dysbiosis, or during antibiotic therapy, and only a portion of physicians reported routinely combining them with prebiotics. The selection of probiotic strains was mainly based on personal experience, while fecal microbiota analysis was seldom used in clinical practice. Conclusions: These findings provide an updated snapshot of current knowledge and practices regarding the microbiota in Italian general medicine and highlight critical gaps, particularly in the understanding of prebiotics and less recognized modulatory factors.

The rehabilitation of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, involves stressors like handling and confinement. To assess physiological stress responses during rehabilitation, twenty-five C. caretta hospitalized at C.Re.Ta.M. were monitored over a two-month period at three time points (T0, T1, and T2). The cohort included 12 juveniles (CCL: 30.6 ± 5.7 cm) and 13 subadults (CCL: 52.5 ± 10.4 cm). Heterophil/lymphocyte ratios (H/L), corticosterone (CORT), glucose (Glu), creatine kinase (CK), and uric acid (UA) plasma concentrations were assessed. Two-way repeated-measure ANOVA revealed significant time effects on H/L ratio (p < 0.0001), CORT (p < 0.0001), Glu (p = 0.0002), CK (p < 0.0001), and UA (p < 0.05), with a significative group x time interaction observed for CK (p = 0.016), CORT (p = 0.006) and UA (p = 0.035). No group effect was observed in any of the data. In the juvenile group, H/L (p < 0.01) and CORT (p < 0.001) were significantly lower at T2 compared to T0. At the T0 point, CORT levels were significantly higher in juveniles compared to the subadult group. In subadults, significant decreases in H/L ratio (p < 0.001), Glu (p < 0.01), CK (p < 0.001), and UA (p < 0.05) were observed at both T1 and T2 relative to T0. At T0, CK levels were significantly higher in subadults compared to juveniles. No significant correlations were found between CORT and the other measured parameters. Our results suggest that the rehabilitation period is a safety period during which the animals reestablish their homeostasis despite captivity conditions. However, further studies are needed to define other causes of variations in stress levels in rehabilitating C. caretta.