Lactobacillus

**Lactobacillus** is a genus comprising rod-shaped, Gram-positive bacteria known collectively as *lactobacilli*. They are part of the family *Lactobacillaceae* and are widely recognized for their role in fermenting carbohydrates into lactic acid. This group has been extensively used in food fermentation processes—such as yogurt and cheese production—and is also prominent among probiotics due to their beneficial impact on human health. Recent advances have led to significant taxonomic changes: what was once considered one large genus (*Lactobacillus*) has now been split into 25 genera based on genetic analyses. The term "lactobacilli" historically referred broadly to all these related species before this reclassification.[1][7][9] *Lactobacilli* contribute positively by modulating lipid metabolism, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, supporting cardiovascular health, regulating glucose metabolism in diabetes management, influencing obesity-related pathways, lowering blood pressure through nitric oxide regulation and ACE inhibition mechanisms,[2] enhancing antitumor immunity,[10] producing antimicrobial substances,[8] maintaining mucosal barrier integrity,[5], and restoring healthy microbiota composition. While generally regarded as safe—earning GRAS status from regulatory agencies—certain strains can cause rare infections under specific conditions such as severe immunosuppression.[4] **Note:** "Lactobacilli" refers collectively to many bacterial species rather than a single molecule/receptor/protein. It does **not** fit standard definitions for therapeutic targets like receptors or enzymes. Therefore, - **is_target:** false - **is_incorrect:** true because it does not represent an individual molecular entity suitable for targeted drug development.[1][7][9]

Other names

Lactobacilli (plural, informal/common usage)Lactic acid bacteria (sometimes used interchangeably, but technically broader)LAB (abbreviation for lactic acid bacteria, not specific to Lactobacillus)