Table 1.
Advantages and disadvantages of enterococci.
| Advantages of Enterococci | Reference |
| Commensals | |
| Immune homeostasis | [9,10] |
| Immunomodulatory effect | [10,44,45,46,63,64,65,78] |
| Producing bacteriocins against pathogens | [53,73,74,158] |
| Metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins—role in digestion | [14,15] |
| Blocking the spread of putrefactive bacteria | [14] |
| Lowering cholesterol levels | [63,66,75] |
| Protective role against cancer | [76] |
| Probiotics | |
| Biotherapeutic—e.g., chronic sinusitis, bronchitis | [13,50] |
| Bio-preservatives and hygiene indicator in food production | [12,14,15] |
| Dietary supplementation for animals | [46,48,67,69,70,77,78] |
| Starter cultures in dairy products | [11,14,15,80] |
| After treatment with antibiotics and as treatment for vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonization | [178] |
| Disadvantages of Enterococci | Reference |
| Potential pathogens (e.g., urinary tract infections, endocarditis) | [83,84,85,92,96,101,102,103,104,133,134] |
| translocation in the circulatory system (sepsis, bacteremia) | [41,44,94,95,96,97] |
| Nosocomial infection/hospital outbreak | [17,84,86,89,90] |
| Virulence and resistance factors can be transmitted between species or genera by horizontal gene transfer—a problem in hospital settings | [116,147,148,150,164,177] |
| Responsible for allergic reactions | [15] |
| Food spoilage | [15,115,119] |
| Food poisoning (foodborne pathogens) | [15] |
| Polyp formation and colorectal cancer | [18,108,110,111] |