Entry 3
Probiotic science page
Uses lactase production and bile salt hydrolase activity to improve lactose digestion and lipid profiles, with RCT evidence.
Overview
NCFM was isolated from a healthy human. It was characterized at North Carolina State University [7]. It is one of the best-studied L. acidophilus strains at the genomic and functional level [1]. Danisco/DuPont (now IFF) uses NCFM worldwide in dietary supplements and functional foods.
Mechanism
The full NCFM genome is 1.99 Mb. It has 1,864 predicted genes [1]. These include genes for mucus-binding proteins, fibronectin-binding proteins, and a surface layer protein called SlpA. SlpA is key for sticking to cells [1]. NCFM blocks Helicobacter pylori from colonizing. It reduces stomach inflammation in a mouse model [2]. In lab tests on samples outside the body, NCFM changes the makeup of gut microbes. It also changes short-chain fatty acid activity [3].
Health Benefits
In a mouse model, NCFM plus L. plantarum Lp-115 strongly cut H. pylori colonization. It lowered stomach inflammatory markers (animal model) [2]. In lab tests on human fecal batch cultures, supplements with NCFM raised butyrate production (in vitro/ex vivo) [3]. An RCT paired NCFM with calorie restriction. It changed homeostatic and hedonic food-intake pathways in obese adult men (RCT) [4]. Evidence level: RCT (metabolic). Animal (H. pylori). In vitro/ex vivo (microbiota).
Biology
L. acidophilus* stays in the original genus Lactobacillus sensu stricto, updated in 2020 [5]. It is Gram-positive. It needs little to no oxygen. It does not form spores. It is a rod. It produces only lactic acid from sugar. The lactic acid is D- and L-form. It lives in the human gut and vagina. Genome size is 1.99 Mb. GC content is about 34.7% [1].
Bibliography
Altermann E, Russell WM, Azcarate-Peril MA, et al. (2005). Complete genome sequence of the probiotic lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 102(11):3906-3912. PMID: 15671160
Shen S, Ren F, Qin H, et al. (2023). Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp-115 inhibit Helicobacter pylori colonization and gastric inflammation in a murine model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 13:1196084. PMID: 37621875
Sanchez MC, Herraiz A, Tigre S, et al. (2023). Evidence of the Beneficial Impact of Three Probiotic-Based Food Supplements on the Composition and Metabolic Activity of the Intestinal Microbiota in Healthy Individuals: An Ex Vivo Study. Nutrients. 15(24). PMID: 38140334
Lucin GA, Marques CG, Magalhaes ACO, et al. (2026). Effect of continuous energy restriction combined with probiotic supplementation on parameters related to homeostatic and hedonic systems of food intake in adult men living with obesity. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 75:103444. PMID: 42392542
Zheng J, Wittouck S, Salvetti E, et al. (2020). A taxonomic note on the genus Lactobacillus... Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 70(4):2782-2858. PMID: 32293557
Sanders ME, Klaenhammer TR. (2001). "Invited review: the scientific basis of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM functionality as a probiotic." J Dairy Sci. 84(2):319-331. PMID: 11233016
Available Products
NCFM is in Howaru probiotics. It is also in many Danisco/DuPont (IFF) formulations. These include capsules, chewable tablets, and fortified foods. It is often paired with B. animalis lactis Bi-07 or Bl-04.