title: Vaginal lactic acid bacteria in the mare: evaluation of the probiotic potential of native Lactobacillus spp. and Enterococcus spp. strains.
abstract: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important members of the human vaginal microbiota and their presence is considered beneficial. However, little is known about native vaginal bacteria in other animal species such as the horse. The aim of this work was to quantify the vaginal lactic acid bacteria and lactobacilli of mares and to establish if selected equine vaginal lactic acid bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus and Enterococcus spp. strains, could exhibit potential as probiotics. The vaginal lactic acid bacteria and lactobacilli of 26 mares were quantified by plate counts. Five strains (three Lactobacillus spp. and two Enterococcus spp.) were characterised and adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells, antimicrobial activity and ability to form biofilms were evaluated. Lactic acid bacteria were recovered from the 26 samples and lactobacilli counts were detected in 18 out of 26 mares (69%). Probiotic properties tested in this study varied among the isolates and showed promising features for their use as equine probiotics.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avenida Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perelmuter
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delucchi
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cidade
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zunino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019936:Probiotics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S