Harnessing Probiotics and Prebiotics for the Prophylaxis and Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis

ABSTRACT: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the prevalent condition of reproductive-age women in the general population. BV increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm birth, pelvic inflammation, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. Generally, antibiotics like metronidazole and clindamycin were used for the treatment of this recurrent infection. The use of antibiotics only gives temporal relief and may cause serious conditions of antibiotic resistance, and they kill a wide range of beneficial vaginal microbes. Hence alternative treatment methods like the use of probiotics and prebiotics for the prevention of bacterial vaginosis and other bacterial infections will be more effective. They help to optimize, maintain, and restore the vaginal acidic environment and eubiosis of the vaginal ecosystem. The current review focuses on the role of probiotics and prebiotics and the combined effect of both for the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial vaginosis and other bacterial infections. Also, the review emphasizes the understanding of the role of vaginal microbiome in modulating the health of women and as a promising solution for recurrent vaginal infections.