Lactobacillus – Evolution und Kulturgeschichte.

Summary Lactobacillus is a genus of lactic acid bacteria with particularly many species, which derived from anaerobic bacteria 2.5 billion years ago. They are oxygen tolerant and have complex nutritional demands. Lactobacilli digest carbohydrates and ferment various sugars to lactic acid, and partly to ethanol or acetate and CO2. They occur in O2‐ depleted and nutrient‐rich habitats, living in the wild or temporarily in the gastrointestinal tracts of insects, animals and humans, or may be symbiotically adapted to hosts. Lactobacilli have played an important role for human nutrition since the Neolithic Revolution by fermenting milk and vegetables. Today, Lactoacilli are involved in the fermentation of 5000 types of food and beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]