The two-way interaction between the molecules that cause vaginal malodour and lactobacilli: An opportunity for probiotics

Scarlett Puebla-Barragan*, Polycronis Paul Akouris, Kait F. Al, Charles Carr, Britney Lamb, Mark Sumarah, Charlotte van der Veer, Remco Kort, Jeremy Burton, Gregor Reid

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Vaginal malodour is a sign of dysbiosis. The biogenic amines (BAs) cadaverine, putrescine and tyramine are known to be causative compounds. Recent reports suggest these compounds produced by pathogens might have a role beyond causing malodour; namely inhibiting the growth of lactobacilli bacteria that are crucial in the maintenance of vaginal homeostasis. The aim of this study was to identify whether certain lactobacilli strains could reduce BAs and to evaluate how Lactobacillus species were affected by these compounds. Using LC–MS and HPLC-UV, five Lactobacillus crispatus strains were identified as being capable of significantly reducing BAs from the media under in vitro conditions. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing of vaginal swabs exposed to Bas, cadaverine was found to reduce the relative abundance of lactobacilli. When L. crispatus was exposed to media supplemented with BAs with an HCl adjusted lower pH, its growth was enhanced, demonstrating the relevance of the maintenance of an acidic vaginal environment. If strains are to be developed for probiotic application to alleviate bacterial vaginosis and other conditions affecting large numbers of women worldwide, their ability to adapt to Bas and regulate pH should be part of the experimentation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12279
Pages (from-to)1-12
Number of pages12
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume22
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Special Issue: The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities.

Funding Information:
Funding: S.P.-B. is funded by the Mexican Council of Science and Technology, grant number: CVU 692895.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Biogenic amines
  • Dysbiosis
  • Lactobacilli
  • Probiotics
  • Vaginal malodour
  • Vaginal microbiota

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