Lactobacilli and lactoferrin: Biotherapeutic effects for vaginal health

Abstract

Protective human vaginal microbiota is characterized by several microbial strains, mainly members of Lactobacillus genus. During vaginal infections, the balance among these strains is altered producing opportunistic or pathogenic bacteria overgrowth. Antibiotic treatments often select for resistant organism or lead to adverse effects on beneficial microbiota. In this study the effect of a combination of L. acidophilus GLA-14 and L. rhamnosus HN001 with lactoferrin, a glycoprotein of the innate immune system exerting antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and prebiotic actions, has been investigated. Results obtained using a human cervix in vitro model showed that supernatants from both probiotics exert a beneficial effect on cervix cells and that both strains were able to grown in biofilm and exhibited aggregation and adherence properties to biotic or abiotic surfaces. These properties are modulated and even increased by lactoferrin demonstrating the beneficial activity of this biotherapeutic agent combination to prevent and manage urogenital tract infections in women.