Lactobacillus acidophilus is a lactic acid bacterium found naturally in breast milk.
This gram-positive bacterium, which belongs to the family Firmicutes, produces a molecule of the bacteriocin family, lactacin B.
This inhibits the growth and development of other Lactobacillus and Enterococcus faecalis, which can be pathogenic.
In addition, Lactobacillus acidophilus produces organic acids and hydrogen peroxide that inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria found in food, such as Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella.
The advantage of Lactobacillus acidophilus is its ability to adhere to the intestinal mucosa, which promotes long-lasting activity.
In addition, publications have demonstrated the benefits of the combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis in digestive pathologies and chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, including Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis.
These two bacteria also help to reduce the incidence of traveller's diarrhoea and infectious diarrhoea in children.