Orally administered multispecies probiotic formulations to prevent uro-genital infections: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study

Probiotics are, according to the FAO and WHO’s definition, ‘live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’ [1]. Several health benefits of probiotics are known: their administration is beneficial in preventing and curing different types of diarrhea [2]; they are used in the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases [3] and it has been demonstrated that they help prevent allergies [4].

Usually, the gut is the target organ for probiotic formulations, but recently other organs and tissues have been related to probiotics, such as skin, hair [5], the oral cavity [6], and the vagina [7], by showing their positive effects for human health. In the specific case of the vagina, the microbial species play an important role in the maintenance of health and prevention from infections throughout several mechanisms: occupation of specific adhesion sites of the urovaginal epithelium, maintenance of a low pH and production of anti-microbial metabolites such as acids, bacteriocins, hydrogen peroxides, and anti-adhesive polysaccharides [8]