Effect of some pharmaceutical excipients on the survival of probiotic vaginal lactobacilli

ZÁRATE, G.; JUAREZ TOMÁS M.S. Y NADER MACÍAS M.E.

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY

NRC Research Press

Lugar: Ottawa, Canada; Año: 2005 vol. 51 p. 481 - 489

0008-4166

Lactobacilli are the predominant microorganisms of the vaginal bacterial microbiota and they play a major role in the maintenance of a healthy urogenital tract. In consequence, the interest in their potential use as probiotics has significantly increased during the last decade. In the present study we assessed the influence of different excipients on the survival of 4 probiotic vaginal lactobacilli incorporated into glycerinated gelatin ovules and stored at 5°C during 60 days. Results showed that viability after storage was a strain-dependant characteristic, but inclusion of ascorbic acid significantly increased survival in 3 of the 4 strains tested. The best survival was observed for Lactobacillus salivarius CRL 1328 in ovules containing skim milk. No significant differences in viability were observed between control ovules (glycerogelatin base without excipients) and those containing lactose or Tween 80 for any of the strains tested. L. acidophilus CRL 1259 and L. crispatus CRL 1266 were, respectively, the most resistant and sensitive strains to the storage with the different substances. In conclusion, these results provide a basis for selecting excipients to improve the survival of lactobacilli into a probiotic product, in an attempt to ensure the delivery of an adequate number of viable cells to the urogenital tract.