Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a type of bacteria that convert carbohydrates into lactate through fermentation metabolism. While LAB mainly acquire energy through this anaerobic process, they also have oxygen-consuming systems, one of which is flavoprotein oxidase and the other is exogenous heme-or heme-and quinone-dependent respiratory metabolism. Over the past two decades, research has contributed to the understanding of the roles of these oxidase machineries, confirming their suspected roles and uncovering novel functions. This review presents the roles of these oxidase machineries, which are anticipated to be critical for the future applications of LAB in industry and comprehending the virulence of pathogenic streptococci. microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a beneficial health effect on the host" [5,6]. Probiotics can enhance gut health, promote immune system function, and relieve digestive disorders [6][7][8]. LAB strains, such as Lactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, and Limosilactobacillus, are commonly used in probiotic formulations in dairy products, dietary supplements, and functional foods. Pathogenic streptococci are also included in LAB [2,9]. The streptococci in this group have the capability to cause various infections and diseases in humans and animals. These bacteria possess virulence factors that enable them to colonize host tissues, evade immune defenses, and cause various illnesses ranging from mild to severe [10]. Although food microbiologists frequently consider only benign LAB utilized in food production and probiotics as LAB, pathogenic streptococci belong to the criteria of LAB. Notably, both groups of bacteria have been found to be closely related based on phylogenetic studies [1,11].LAB are a class of bacteria that are gram-positive, non-spore-forming, and catalase-negative, and they exhibit low GC content [1-3]. As mentioned above, LAB produce lactate as their main metabolite. This indicates that LAB obtain energy by anaerobic fermentation. Members of this class of bacteria lack the ability to synthesize heme, a cofactor of cytochrome oxidases, which are the main components of the respiratory chain [2,3]. Accordingly, energy generation by LAB depends on anaerobic lactic acid fermentation. Because of these characteristics, LAB are often considered to be anaerobic bacteria unrelated to oxygen. However, unlike other anaerobic bacteria, most LAB can also grow under aerobic conditions and consume oxygen via unique flavoprotein oxidases. Numerous studies on LAB have shown that flavoprotein oxidases can greatly improve the metabolic capabilities of this class of