Postbiotic gel relieves clinical symptoms of BV by regulating the vaginal microbiota

Vaginitis is a common diagnosis in gynecological practice, with bacterial vaginitis (BV) being the most prevalent. The condition often stems from vaginal dysbiosis. Lactic acid bacteria are crucial for maintaining vaginal health and are the dominant bacteria in the vaginal microbiota. Current clinical treatments for BV typically involve antibiotics and other medications, which can lead to adverse reactions and frequent relapses. Probiotics has shown promise in restoring the vaginal microbiota and alleviating BV.

This recent human clinical trial evaluate the efficacy of a postbiotic gel in treating BV, when applied for one week.

The study included 50 patients diagnosed with BV. The assessment involved monitoring changes in the patients' clinical indicators of BV (specifically, properties of vaginal secretion) and the composition of the vaginal microbiota after using the postbiotic gel. 

The results demonstrated that applying the postbiotic gel led to an improvement in BV symptoms, as evidenced by a reduction in abnormalities in vaginal secretions. Following the gel application, there was an increase in the relative abundance of vaginal lactobacilli compared to baseline. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between lactobacilli and potential vaginal pathogens such as Gardnerella, Prevotella, and Atopobium, as well as the abnormalities in vaginal secretions.

The findings indicated that postbiotic gel application improved BV symptoms and brought about beneficial changes in vaginal microbiota. The increase in lactobacilli and decrease in potential vaginal pathogens suggested an improvement in vaginal health and alleviation of BV. These findings offer valuable clinical insights for managing BV and highlight the potential of postbiotics in clinical practice.

Source: Shen X, Xu L, Zhang Z, et al. Postbiotic gel relieves clinical symptoms of bacterial vaginitis by regulating the vaginal microbiota. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 2023 Feb 2;13:42.