Advances in the Knowledge and Clinical Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria as Probiotic in the Urogenital Tract

MARÍA ELENA FÁTIMA NADER-MACÍAS; CLARA SILVA DE RUIZ; VIRGINIA S. OCAÑA; MARÍA SILVINA JUÁREZ TOMÁS

Current Women?s Health Reviews

Bentham Science Publishers

Lugar: Karachi; Año: 2008 vol. 4 p. 240 - 257

1573-4048

Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms administered in high numbers to produce beneficial and physiological effects on the host, are increasingly applied to the prevention and treatment of many clinical situations in both human beings and animals. The female urogenital tract is one of the targets of probiotics, mainly by the frequency of infectious diseases that affects patients of all ages, including pregnant women and, potentially, newborns. Urogenital infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates as well as with high health care costs. The development of a probiotic formula to control these situations is of great interest. In this review, the mechanisms that support the probiotic action of lactic acid bacteria in the urogenital tract are summarized. Animal models used to test their effect on certain pathologies as well as clinical trials performed in humans are described. Some products currently available on the market are also mentioned.