Potential of Maintaining a Healthy Vaginal Environment by TwoLactobacillusStrains Isolated from Cocoa Fermentation

Abstract

Bacteria in the generaMycoplasmaandUreaplasmado not have cell walls and therefore interact with host cells through lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMP). These lipoproteins are important for both surface adhesion and modulation of host immune responses.MycoplasmaandUreaplasmahave been implicated in cases of bacterial vaginosis (BV), which can cause infertility, abortion, and premature delivery. In contrast, bacteria of the genusLactobacillus, which are present in the vaginal microbiota of healthy women, are thought to inhibit local colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate thein vitrointeractions between lipoproteins ofMycoplasmaandUreaplasmaspecies and vaginal lineage (HMVII) cells and to study the effect ofLactobacillusisolates from cocoa fermentation on these interactions. The testedLactobacillusstrains showed some important probiotic characteristics, with autoaggregation percentages of 28.55% and 31.82% forL. fermentumFA4 andL. plantarumPA3 strains, respectively, and percent adhesion values of 31.66 and 41.65%, respectively. The two strains were hydrophobic, with moderate to high hydrophobicity values, 65.33% and 71.12% forL. fermentumFA4 andL. plantarumPA3 in toluene. Both strains secreted acids into the culture medium with pH=4.32 and pH=4.33, respectively, and showed antibiotics susceptibility profiles similar to those of other lactobacilli. The strains were also able to inhibit the death of vaginal epithelial cells after incubation withU. parvumLAMP from 41.03% to 2.43% (L. fermentumFA4) and 0.43% (L. plantarumPA3) and also managed to significantly decrease the rate of cell death caused by the interaction with LAMP ofM. hominisfrom 34.29% to 14.06% (L. fermentumFA4) and 14.61% (L. plantarumPA3), thus demonstrating their potential for maintaining a healthy vaginal environment.