Bacillus probiotics have a sporulation capacity that makes them more suitable for processing and storage and for surviving passage through the gastrointestinal tract. The probiotic functions and regulatory mechanisms of different Bacillus have been exploited in many reports, but little is known about how various Bacillus probiotics perform different functions. This knowledge gap results in a lack of specificity in the selection and application of Bacillus. The probiotic properties are strain-specific and cell-type-specific, and are related to the germination potential and to the diversity of metabolites produced following intestinal germination, as this causes the variation in probiotic function and mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the Bacillus metabolites produced during germination and sporulation in the GI tract, as well as possible processes affecting intestinal homeostasis. We conclude that the oxygen-capturing capability and the production of antimicrobials, exoenzymes, competence and sporulation factors (CSF), exopolysaccharides, lactic acid, and cell components are specifically associated with the functional mechanisms of probiotic Bacillus. The aim of this review is to guide the screening of potential Bacillus strains for probiotics and their application in nutrition research. The information provided will also promote further research on Bacillus-derived functional metabolites in human nutrition.
Keywords: Bacillus; bacteria-host interactions; germination; metabolites; probiotics.