Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most versatile probiotic species — found in fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough), the human gut, and the vaginal microbiome. It has the largest genome among Lactobacillus species (~3.3 Mb), encoding extensive stress tolerance, metabolic flexibility, and antimicrobial peptide (plantaricin) production.
Notable Features
- Heavy metal binding: L. plantarum can biosorb cadmium, lead, and arsenic from the gut lumen, reducing systemic metal absorption — a bioremediation function relevant to metal-exposed populations feng 2022 pediococcus gr1 heavy metals gut microbiota metabolome.
- MS: Component of probiotic formulations showing immunomodulatory effects in MS morshedi 2019 probiotics ms immunomodulation systematic review.
- Schizophrenia: Part of synbiotic formulation for metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia RCT basafa roodi 2024 synbiotic metabolic syndrome schizophrenia rct.
- Thyroid: Discussed in gut microbiota-thyroid axis bao 2025 gut microbiota thyroid diseases comprehensive review.
- Male fertility: Part of probiotic interventions for reproductive health lv 2024 gut microbiota male reproductive function review.
Cross-References
- lactobacillus — genus page
- lactobacillaceae — family context
- cadmium — L. plantarum biosorbs Cd from gut lumen
- lead — L. plantarum biosorbs Pb