Clostridium butyricum is a strictly anaerobic endospore-forming Gram-positive butyric acid–producing bacillus subsisting by means of fermentation using an intracellularly accumulated amylopectin-like α-polyglucan (granulose) as a substrate. It is uncommonly reported as a human pathogen and is widely used as a probiotic in Japan, Korea, and China. C. butyricum is a soil inhabitant in various parts of the world, has been cultured from the stool of healthy children and adults, and is common in soured milk and cheeses. The connection with dairy products is shown by the name, the butyr- in butyricum reflects the relevance of butyric acid in the bacteria's metabolism and the connection with Latin butyrum and Greek βούτυρον, with word roots pertaining to butter and cheese.
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In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Clostridium butyricum
- Clostridium butyricum in the context of Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium butyricum in the context of Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum is a gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming, motile bacterium that has the ability to produce botulinum toxin, which is a neurotoxin known to be the deadliest substance ever recorded in the chemical literature.
C. botulinum is a diverse group of pathogenic bacteria. Initially, they were grouped together by their ability to produce botulinum toxin and are now known as four distinct groups, C. botulinum groups I–IV. Along with some strains of Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii, these bacteria all produce the toxin.
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