Pirje Hütt, Eleri Lapp, Jelena Štšepetova, Imbi Smidt, Heleri Taelma, Natalja Borovkova, Helen Oopkaup, Ave Ahelik, Tiiu Rööp, Dagmar Hoidmets, Külli Samuel, Andres Salumets, Reet Mändar
BACKGROUND: Vaginal lactobacilli offer protection against recurrent urinary infections, bacterial vaginosis, and vaginal candidiasis. OBJECTIVE: To characterise the isolated vaginal lactobacilli strains for their probiotic properties and to compare their probiotic potential. METHODS: The Lactobacillus strains were isolated from vaginal samples by conventional culturing and identified by sequencing of the 16S rDNA fragment. Several functional properties were detected (production of hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid; antagonistic activity against Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Gardnerella vaginalis; auto-aggregation and adhesiveness) as well as safety (haemolytic activity, antibiotic susceptibility, presence of transferrable resistance genes)...
2016: Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease