Urogenital Lactobacilli Probiotics, Reliability, and Regulatory Issues

Of the hundreds of Lactobacillus so-called probiotic products, only a handful contain identifiable strains that have any published data supporting their usefulness in humans. Of these, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, Lactobacillus fermen- tum RC-14, and Lactobacillus fermentum B-54 possess anti- pathogen properties and colonize the intestine and vagina, conferring health benefits to women. These strains have been found to adhere to vaginal cells, hemagglutinate red blood cells and produce biosurfactants. Taking these or other strains to the marketplace, whether as dairy products or not, requires reliable production and delivery vehicles, and regulatory ap- proval. For this important field to move forward to meet the approval of health care professionals, a better scientific basis for specific strain use in high quality products aimed at well- defined sites is needed. Furthermore, information targeted at, or viewed by, consumers should state the attributes of actual strains in a given product, and reference the peer-reviewed