Silage Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is the most common bacterium used in
silage inoculants. During the anaerobic conditions of ensilage, these organisms quickly dominate the microbial population, and, within 48 hours, they begin to produce lactic and acetic acids via the
Embden-Meyerhof Pathway, further diminishing their competition. Under these conditions,
L. plantarum strains producing high levels of
heterologous proteins have been found to remain highly competitive. This quality could allow this species to be utilized as an effective biological pretreatment for
lignocellulosic biomass.
Food products Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is commonly found in milk products, meat and a lot of vegetable fermentations including
sauerkraut, pickles, brined
olives,
kimchi,
Ogi,
sourdough,
tempoyak, and other fermented plant material, and also some
cheeses,
fermented sausages, and
stockfish. The high levels of this organism in food also makes it an ideal candidate for the development of
probiotics. In a 2008 study by Juana Frias et al.,
L. plantarum was applied to reduce the allergenicity of
soy flour. The result showed that, compared to other microbes,
L. plantarum-fermented soy flour showed the highest reduction in
IgE immunoreactivity (96–99%), depending upon the sensitivity of the plasma used.
L. plantarum is also found in
dadiah, a traditional fermented
buffalo milk of the
Minangkabau people, native to
Sumatra.
Lactobacillus plantarum strain K21 is a
gram-positive bacteria isolated from
fermented vegetables. It has the ability to hydrolyze
bile salt when it is provided as a supplement. In fat mice, K21 also reduces the levels of
cholesterol and
triglyceride, and inhibits the accumulation of lipid in 3T3-L1
preadipocytes. Furthermore, it reduces the level of plasma
leptin, mitigates liver damage and alleviates
glucose intolerance. Finally K21 inhibits body weight gain and fat mass accumulation.
Therapeutics Because it is abundant, of human origin, and easy to grow,
L. plantarum has been tested for health effects. It has been identified as a probiotic, which suggests its value for further research and application.
L. plantarum has significant antioxidant activities and also helps to maintain
intestinal permeability. It is able to suppress the growth of gas-producing bacteria in the intestines and may benefit some patients who suffer from
IBS. It helps to create microbe balance and stabilize digestive enzyme patterns. The ability of
L. plantarum to survive in the
human gastro-intestinal tract makes it a possible
in vivo delivery vehicle for therapeutic compounds or proteins.
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a constituent in
VSL#3. This proprietary, standardized formulation of live bacteria may be used in combination with conventional therapies to treat
ulcerative colitis and requires a prescription.
Antimicrobial property The ability of
L. plantarum to produce antimicrobial substances helps them survive in the
gastrointestinal tract of humans. The antimicrobial substances produced have shown significant effect on
Gram-positive and
Gram-negative bacteria.
Activity against AIDS-associated gut damage As a result of initial
HIV infection, the gut has been found to be a prime center of immune activity. The immune systems'
Paneth cells of the gut attack HIV by producing
interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), which results in extensive collateral damage—sloughing of tight intestinal lining, witnessed as severe
diarrhea. This destruction of the gut lining allows fungal pathogens to invade, e.g.,
Cryptococcus species, resulting in an
AIDS-defining illness such as
cryptococcosis, representing 60% to 70% of all AIDS-defining cases, but not necessarily only the gut. In
rhesus macaques,
L. plantarum is able to reduce (destroy) IL-1β, resolving inflammation, and accelerating gut repair within hours. == Biochemistry ==