Lactobacillus acidophilus

All unapproved Citizendium articles may contain errors of fact, bias, grammar etc. A version of an article is unapproved unless it is marked as citable with a dedicated green template at the top of the page, as in this version of the 'Biology' article. Citable articles are intended to be of reasonably high quality. The participants in the Citizendium project make no representations about the reliability of Citizendium articles or, generally, their suitability for any purpose. This article is currently being developed as part of an Eduzendium student project in the framework of a course entitled Microbiology 201 at Queens College, CUNY. The course homepage can be found at CZ:Biol 201: General Microbiology. For the course duration, the article is closed to outside editing. Of course you can always leave comments on the discussion page. The anticipated date of course completion is May 21, 2009. One month after that date at the latest, this notice shall be removed. Besides, many other Citizendium articles welcome your collaboration!

Lactobacillus acidophilus
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Bacilli Order: Lactobacillales Family: Lactobacillaceae Genus: Lactobacillus Species: L. acidophilus
Binomial name
Lactobacillus acidophilus

Description and significance

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a species of gram-positive bacteria commonly used in dairy production. L. acidophilus is also one of the most common forms of probiotics, which are "friendly bacteria". L. acidophilus is found in the human and animal gut, mouth, and vagina. It functions as a lactic acid producer, by metabolizing lactose to lactic acid. The acid produced by L. acidophilus can control the growth of the fungus Candida albicans, which is the cause of Oral thrush and vaginal yeast infections. The acid produced can also prevent unwanted organisms living in the gut. Common dairy products which use L. acidophilus in their production include Sweet acidophilus milk and yogurt. Sweet acidophilus milk and yogurt can be consumed by those who are lactose intolerant. Selected strains of L. acidophilus have shown significant reductions of cholesterol in humans, lowering the risk of coronary heart disease.