Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications
<i>Lactobacillus</i>, a genus of lactic acid bacteria, is known to coexist symbiotically in the female vaginal microbiota and has gained attention as a potential probiotic with benefits for female reproductive health. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic potential of <i>Lacto...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Eui-Chun Chung Jong Seo Lee Hye Ji Lim Seok-Jin Kim Youn-Jee Chung Kum-Joo Shin |
| author_facet | Eui-Chun Chung Jong Seo Lee Hye Ji Lim Seok-Jin Kim Youn-Jee Chung Kum-Joo Shin |
| author_sort | Eui-Chun Chung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Lactobacillus</i>, a genus of lactic acid bacteria, is known to coexist symbiotically in the female vaginal microbiota and has gained attention as a potential probiotic with benefits for female reproductive health. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic potential of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> BELG74(BELG74), isolated from the vaginal microbiota of Korean women, in promoting vaginal health through growth ability, pH reduction, lactic acid production, and antimicrobial activity. Among 36 <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> strains, BELG74 demonstrated the highest growth capacity at 1.84 × 10<sup>9</sup> CFU/mL and the lowest pH of 3.84. BELG74 produced the most lactic acid at a concentration of 20.12 g/L, which correlated with anti-pathogenic activity against <i>Gardnerella vaginalis</i>, <i>Fannyhessea vaginae,</i> and <i>Candida albicans</i> of more than 90%. It also showed high acid resistance (92.2%) and bile resistance (25.3%), ensuring its survival through the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, BELG74 exhibited strong biofilm formation and adhesion capacity of 28.7% to HeLa cells, making it effective in colonizing the vaginal environment and suppressing pathogenic bacteria. The reduction of IL-1β by 63% suggested anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, BELG74 effectively neutralized trimethylamine and ammonia by over 99.9%, suggesting its ability to reduce unpleasant vaginal odors. These findings indicate that BELG74 could be a promising probiotic for improving vaginal health, with further clinical studies needed to confirm these benefits. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Microbiology Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-efbb91f2dc4a460ebe25fc21d5f6f3a02025-01-24T13:41:43ZengMDPI AGMicrobiology Research2036-74812025-01-011611210.3390/microbiolres16010012Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health ApplicationsEui-Chun Chung0Jong Seo Lee1Hye Ji Lim2Seok-Jin Kim3Youn-Jee Chung4Kum-Joo Shin5R&D Center, Hecto Healthcare Co., Ltd., Seoul 06142, Republic of KoreaR&D Center, Hecto Healthcare Co., Ltd., Seoul 06142, Republic of KoreaR&D Center, Hecto Healthcare Co., Ltd., Seoul 06142, Republic of KoreaR&D Center, Hecto Healthcare Co., Ltd., Seoul 06142, Republic of KoreaDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of KoreaR&D Center, Hecto Healthcare Co., Ltd., Seoul 06142, Republic of Korea<i>Lactobacillus</i>, a genus of lactic acid bacteria, is known to coexist symbiotically in the female vaginal microbiota and has gained attention as a potential probiotic with benefits for female reproductive health. This study aimed to evaluate the probiotic potential of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> BELG74(BELG74), isolated from the vaginal microbiota of Korean women, in promoting vaginal health through growth ability, pH reduction, lactic acid production, and antimicrobial activity. Among 36 <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> strains, BELG74 demonstrated the highest growth capacity at 1.84 × 10<sup>9</sup> CFU/mL and the lowest pH of 3.84. BELG74 produced the most lactic acid at a concentration of 20.12 g/L, which correlated with anti-pathogenic activity against <i>Gardnerella vaginalis</i>, <i>Fannyhessea vaginae,</i> and <i>Candida albicans</i> of more than 90%. It also showed high acid resistance (92.2%) and bile resistance (25.3%), ensuring its survival through the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, BELG74 exhibited strong biofilm formation and adhesion capacity of 28.7% to HeLa cells, making it effective in colonizing the vaginal environment and suppressing pathogenic bacteria. The reduction of IL-1β by 63% suggested anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, BELG74 effectively neutralized trimethylamine and ammonia by over 99.9%, suggesting its ability to reduce unpleasant vaginal odors. These findings indicate that BELG74 could be a promising probiotic for improving vaginal health, with further clinical studies needed to confirm these benefits.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7481/16/1/12probioticsvaginabacterial vaginosis<i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> |
| spellingShingle | Eui-Chun Chung Jong Seo Lee Hye Ji Lim Seok-Jin Kim Youn-Jee Chung Kum-Joo Shin Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications Microbiology Research probiotics vagina bacterial vaginosis <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> |
| title | Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications |
| title_full | Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications |
| title_fullStr | Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications |
| title_short | Isolation and Characterization of <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> Strains from Women for Potential Vaginal Health Applications |
| title_sort | isolation and characterization of i lactobacillus gasseri i strains from women for potential vaginal health applications |
| topic | probiotics vagina bacterial vaginosis <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7481/16/1/12 |
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