Lactobacillus paracasei

Lactobacillus paracasei
Lactobacillus bulgaricus, morphologically identical to Lactobacillus paracasei
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Firmicutes
Class:	Bacilli
Order:	Lactobacillales
Family:	Lactobacillaceae
Genus:	Lactobacillus
Species:	L. paracasei
Subspecies:	Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. tolerans
Binomial name
Lactobacillus paracasei Collins, Phillips & Zanoni, 1989

Lactobacillus paracasei (commonly abbreviated as L. paracasei) is a gram-positive, facultatively heterofermentative species of lactic acid bacteria that are commonly used in dairy product fermentation and probiotics. L. paracasei is a bacterium that operates by commensalism. It is commonly found in many human habitats such as our intestinal tracts and mouths as well as sewages, silages, and previously mentioned dairy products. The name includes morphology, a rod-shaped (bacillus shape) bacterium with a width of 2.0 to 4.0μm and length of 0.8 to 1.0μm.

So far, thirty four different strains of L. paracasei have been isolated from a variety of environments. Sixteen of those strains have been isolated from dairy, ten from plants, and eight from human and animal gastrointestinal tracts.L. paracasei is genotypically and phenotypically indistinguishable from other members of its genus such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. However, they are easily differentiated from each other by their fermentation profiles. Its fermentative properties allows it to be used as biological food processors and supplements for diets and medical disorders, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.

Although probiotics are considered safe, they may cause bacteria-host interactions and adverse health consequences. In certain cases there is a risk of bacteremia when probiotics are used. Currently, the probiotic strain, frequency, dose and duration of the probiotic therapies are not established.

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Wikipedia