**3. Health benefits of lactobacillus**

Lactobacilli are useful probiotics that have a wide range of benefits ranging from health, industries (both pharmaceuticals and food), and fermentation of food substances to induce good sensorial properties such as flavor, texture, and increase the shelf life of the food (preservation). These LABs also form part of the human microbiota and induce a good effect on the human body system preventing the

*Lactic Acid Bacteria: Review on the Potential Delivery System as an Effective Probiotic DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111776*

proliferation of other harmful and pathogenic microorganisms. Lactobacillus*,* for example, can aid in the digestion of food, the absorption of nutrients, and the fight against disease-causing microbes. For that reason, lactobacillus is said to be the most frequent bacteria used to treat diarrhea, including viral diarrhea and diarrhea caused by medications. Lactobacillus is also used to treat general digestive issues, newborn colic, and a variety of other stomach and intestinal ailments. Discussed below are some health benefits of Lactobacillus*.*

#### **3.1 Protection of vaginal ecosystem**

Microorganisms such as bacterial species have been shown to invade and create complex communities, or microbiota, in various human body parts (**Figure 1**). These microorganisms being present in the human microbiome appear to have a crucial role in the human body such as development, physiology, immunity, and nutrition [18]. The vulvar cleft in humans (females) connects the uterine cavity, endocervix, and vagina to the outside. These canals aid blood flow during menstruation, but they are frequently inhabited by a diverse mix of indigenous microbial flora. Lactobacillus species have long been recognized to exist in the vaginal canal of humans and serve a significant and perform essential role in maintaining and improving health by limiting the proliferation of harmful organisms by creating various defensive mechanisms [19]. Lactobacillus can provide these important health benefits to the individual by producing lactic acid, bacteriocins, and hydrogen peroxide, all of which limit the growth of bacteria, being harmful or not and fungal pathogens that cause urogenital tract infections [20]. This argument of Lactobacillus being present in a female's vagina canal to improve health agrees with the fact that Döderlein isolated Döderlein's

**Figure 1.** *Action mechanism of vaginal lactobacillus species [17].*

#### **Figure 2.**

*The potential applications of postbiotics in food commodities [22].*

bacillus from a healthy pregnant lady's vaginal samples and called it Lactobacillus [21]. It is generally known that the Lactobacillus being present in large quantity in the female genital organ's canal is "healthy" or "normal," and this is attributed to the vagina's excellent defense mechanism against other harmful bacteria, whereas a low or absent amount is deemed "abnormal" [17]. Lactobacillus species produce lactic acid as a product of glycogen digestion in follicular cells of the vaginal epithelium, resulting in an acidic environment (pH 4.5) [21]. A healthy vagina's acidic environment is an essential defense mechanism against the multiplication and growth of many potential diseases and infections [17]. Inhibitory substances produced by Lactobacillus to protect the vagina are shown in **Figure 2**.

The vaginal Lactobacillus functions by releasing substances that include lactic acid, bacteriocins, hydrogen peroxide, and biosurfactants to prevent the proliferation of harmful microorganisms and regulate the immune cells [17].
