Abstract
Objective: The human vagina and gut are known to harbor a wide range of bacteria. Some useful bacteria maintain the vaginal pH around 3–4.5. This acidity of the vagina helps to inhibit pathogenic organisms that cause urogenital infections. The present study involved screening of previously identified Enterococcus strains of human origin for their probiotic physiological properties.
 Materials and Methods: The strains were screened for their biofilm, antibiofilm, antagonistic, antibiotic resistance, adherence, aggregating, and hydrogen peroxide production abilities.
 Results: Enterococcus canintestini S26B, Entamoeba dispar S27A, E. dispar S26A, E. dispar S20B, E. canintestini AB2, Enterococcus villorum SB2, and Enterococcus rivorum S22C displayed in vitro probiotic properties.
 Conclusions: These strains can be used as probiotic candidates and may prove their potential in human or animal feed only after further clinical studies.
Highlights
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines probiotics as “live organisms which, when used in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” [1]
Enterococcus canintestini S26B, Entamoeba dispar S27A, E. dispar S26A, E. dispar S20B, E. canintestini AB2, Enterococcus villorum SB2, and Enterococcus rivorum S22C displayed in vitro probiotic properties
All of the tested strains show a broad spectrum of activity against indicator strains such as E. coli ATCC 8739, K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and S. typhi ATCC 6539
Summary
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines probiotics as “live organisms which, when used in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” [1]. Probiotic organisms are incorporated in food supplements or used as therapeutic agents to developing a balanced gut microbiota boosting the immune system of the host. Bacteria such as bifidobacteria, Escherichia coli, pediococci, yeasts, enterococci, and lactobacilli are widely used as probiotics. Enterococcus faecium is a reported probiotic strains [2]. Probiotic strain E. faecium SF68 has proved its efficacy in treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea [6]. The possession of virulence genes does not necessarily prove the strain to be pathogenic as proposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Some studies have reported that intrinsic resistance to antibiotics could be seen as an advantage for patients with diarrheal infection or patients trying to avoid antibiotic-caused diarrhea. Vaginal enterococci and lactobacilli have been detected or isolated from meconium, amniotic fluid, placenta, membranes, etc., that have caused no infections in the mother-infant pair [10,11,12]
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