Clostridium butyricum is a spore-forming, obligate anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium and one of the leading next-generation probiotic candidates. The MIYAIRI 588 strain (CBM 588) is approved as a pharmaceutical probiotic in Japan and has expanding clinical evidence across multiple conditions.
Key Features
- Butyrate production: Produces butyrate via the acetyl-CoA pathway, making it functionally similar to faecalibacterium prausnitzii but with the advantage of spore-forming stability (survives gastric transit, shelf-stable).
- Lactate utilization: Converts lactate to butyrate, preventing harmful lactate accumulation in the gut [1].
- T2D/testosterone: Case report of probiotic + lifestyle intervention improving T2D and testosterone [2].
- MDD: Depleted in MDD with nickel-metal toxicity (NiMeTox) microbiome signature [3].
- Male fertility: Discussed in gut-testis axis context [4].
Cross-References
- butyrate — primary metabolic output
- clostridium — genus context
- faecalibacterium prausnitzii — functional parallel (both butyrate producers)
- short chain fatty acids — broader SCFA context