Probiotic Interference ofLactobacillus rhamnosusGR-1 andLactobacillus reuteriRC-14 with the Opportunistic Fungal PathogenCandida albicans

Abstract

Candida albicansis the most importantCandidaspecies causing vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). VVC has significant medical and economical impact on women’s health and wellbeing. While current antifungal treatment is reasonably effective, supportive and preventive measures such as application of probiotics are required to reduce the incidence of VVC. We investigated the potential of the probioticsLactobacillus rhamnosusGR-1 andLactobacillus reuteriRC-14 towards control ofC. albicans.In vitroexperiments demonstrated that lactic acid at low pH plays a major role in suppressing fungal growth. Viability staining following cocultures with lactobacilli revealed thatC. albicanscells lost metabolic activity and eventually were killed. Transcriptome analyses showed increased expression of stress-related genes and lower expression of genes involved in fluconazole resistance, which might explain the increased eradication ofCandidain a previous clinical study on conjoint probiotic therapy. Our results provide insights on the impact of probiotics onC. albicanssurvival.