Detection of Probiotic Strains in Vaginal Swabs Collected From Healthy Women

Participants recruited from the university community in the Southeast U.S. will participate in a pilot, open-label interventional study for approximately 6 weeks following obtainment of informed consent. Participants will be asked to maintain their usual diets with the exception of probiotic supplements, probiotic fortified products or foods with added fiber supplements.

On the first day of the study, participants will take part in a 1-week pre-baseline period where they will begin daily questionnaires inquiring about gastrointestinal symptoms, stool form and number, stress, and medications taken.

On the first day of the intervention period (Day 1), participants will self collect a baseline vaginal swab sample, a skin swab, a vaginal pH swab, and a stool sample. Participants will consume 2 capsules every morning and 2 capsules every evening for four weeks (from D1 to D28).

Participants will self collect a vaginal swab sample, a skin swab, a vaginal pH swab, and a stool sample at Day 14 and at Day 28. An additional vaginal swab sample will be collected at Day 35 to assess for probiotic strains persistence.

At the conclusion of the study, participants will be instructed to return any unused supplements to the study site.

Inclusion criteria

• Be a healthy female between the ages of 18 and 40 years,
• Have a regular and predictable menstrual cycle,
• Be on an oral contraceptive,
• Willing and able to consume a probiotic supplement for 4 weeks,
• Willing and able to complete daily questionnaires online regarding dietary intake and general health and well-being, including gastrointestinal habits,
• Willing to discontinue consumption of probiotics supplements and probiotic fortified products two weeks prior the beginning of the study and throughout the study,
• Willing to discontinue consumption of fiber supplements,
• Willing to provide a stool sample two times during the study,
• Willing to provide one vaginal swab sample four times during the study,
• Willing to provide one skin swab sample (skin between the vagina and the anus), three times during the study,
• Typically have one stool per day,
• Willing to complete a pregnancy test before consuming the study supplement.

Exclusion criteria

• Women who will be menstruating during the sample collection times,
• Women who only use condoms, barrier, spermicide, or natural methods as their sole contraceptive method,
• Women using any intrauterine device (IUD), birth control shot or implant,
• Women who are lactating, know that they are pregnant, are attempting to get pregnant or test positive on a pregnancy test,
• Pre-menopausal or menopausal women,
• Women who have used any vaginal probiotics in the previous three months,
• Use of oral or local antibiotics or antifungal within the past month,
• Currently being treated for a severe chronic disease (cancer, renal failure, chronic inflammatory digestive or gastro-intestinal disease, immunodeficiency, etc.),
• Women who have been diagnosed with any gynecological diseases or conditions (fibroma, endometriosis, etc.),
• Women who have been diagnosed with secondary dysmenorrhea,
• Women with intolerance, allergy or hypersensitivity to milk, soy or yeast,
• With ongoing symptoms of vaginal and/or urinary tract infection,
• Women using a treatment for vaginal sepsis or urosepsis.