Probiotic characteristics of Bacillus coagulans and associated implications for human health and diseases

[Display omitted] •The gastrointestinal life cycle of B. coagulans in humans is reviewed.•The beneficial effects of B. coagulans on host digestive, metabolic and immune systems are reviewed.•The regulative effects of B. coagulans on the gut and vaginal microbiota are reviewed.•B. coagulans-related clinical trials on various human diseases are summarized. As a spore-forming probiotic bacterium, Bacillus coagulans has become a focus of research due to its high tolerance of extreme environments and probiotic characteristics. Several beneficial effects of B. coagulans have been reported. Firstly, B. coagulans can promote intestinal digestion. For example, B. coagulans strains can produce various enzymes that facilitate excretion and digestion. Secondly, B. coagulans can regulate host symbiotic microbiota and inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Lastly, due to its ability to normalize both the quantitative parameters of the immune system and immune cells’ functional activity, B. coagulans can significantly benefit the host immune system. Due to the evidence supporting various probiotic effects of B. coagulans, many B. coagulans strains have been studied in the management and alleviation of several human diseases. Therefore, the administration of B. coagulans may be an attractive preventive and/or therapeutic approach for human diseases.