PROBIOTIC POTENTIALS OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM VAGINAL SWABS ON SELECTED GENITAL PATHOGENS

Oral probiotics has been found useful in treatment or prevention of urogenital infections. The ability of probiotic organisms to serve as biotherapeutic agents can be attributed to various properties they possess. A total of thirty-two lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from the vagina swab samples of healthy women in selected areas in southwestern Nigeria were characterised as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus lactis. L. fermentum exhibited a high antagonistic effect with zones of inhibition of 24mm and 25mm against Klebsiella sp. and E. coli respectively. L. jensenii also had a high activity with inhibition zone of 24mm against Klebsiella sp. Percentage antibiotic resistance of the isolates reflects that, 86% of the isolates exhibited resistance to both amoxacillin and gentamicin; 73% to ampiclox and 64% to rocephine, while low percentage resistance from 0% to 5% was observed for the fluoroquinolones and augumentin.