Ecological And Biological Characteristics Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Abstract
A. N. Irkitova, A. V. Matsyura
Lactobacillus acidophilus - homofermentative lactobacillus, specializing in living in the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts of mammals and birds. It accompanies a person from birth and throughout his life, providing a whole range of useful services, the main one of which is active participation in the body's defense system against the harmful action of undesirable microorganisms (preventing the growth of pathogenic bacteria and restraining populations of opportunistic microbes at a safe level) . It is this property of the acidophilus rod that explains its wide practical use in various probiotic products and preparations of dietary, medical and agricultural purposes. Although the acidophilus rod is known and purposefully used for a long time, it still ha the great potential for the research. The use of gene-molecular approaches has made it possible to clarify the systematic position of L. acidophilus in the family of lactobacilli and to identify a group of closely related species, often indistinguishable by traditional physiological and biochemical identification methods. Today, the efforts of researchers are focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which antagonistically active strains of L. acidophilus carry out a bactericidal and bacteriolytic effect on harmful microbes. Disclosure of these mechanisms will not only allow more efficient selection and use of strains of L. acidophilus, but also create a new class of antibiotics that are more effective and have less side effects than existing ones. This review is devoted to the description of the probiotic microorganism Lactobacillus acidophilus. In the article the biological and ecological properties of the acidophilus rod are described in detail, examples of practical use of this microorganism in various branches of the national economy are given.
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