Identification and functional characterization of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential for alleviating premenstrual syndrome symptoms

Introduction: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a relatively widespread disorder associated with cyclical hormonal oscillations and disruptions in microbial homeostasis, particularly involving β-glucuronidase -producing bacteria that facilitate estrogen reabsorption. This study aimed to isolate, identify and functionally characterize probiotic strains from the vaginal microbiota of healthy Korean women in order to evaluate their potential in mitigating PMS-associated pathophysiology. Materials and methods: A total of 12 isolates, named as KVS strains, were evaluated for their probiotic potential, including antimicrobial, enzyme inhibitory, and anti-adhesive activities associated with PMS. These isolates were further evaluated for adhesion capacity, survival under acidic conditions, auto-aggregation ability, inhibition of β-glucuronidase activity, antimicrobial activity, and suppression of Gardnerella vaginalis adhesion to HeLa cells. Results and discussion: Several KVS strains, such as KVS001, KVS002, KVS004, KVS006, and KVS008 showed strong probiotic potential, adhesion capacity, high auto-aggregation rates, and survival in acidic conditions. In addition, these strains showed high antimicrobial activity and significantly suppressed β-glucuronidase activity, suggesting a mechanism for reducing estrogen recirculation. Moreover, many isolates effectively inhibited G. vaginalis adhesion to HeLa cells, indicating strong potential to counteract dysbiosis-associated PMS triggers. Collectively, the findings identify multiple KVS strains as promising probiotic candidates with multifunctional mechanisms relevant to PMS alleviation, supporting their prospective development as health-functional foods or therapeutic agents targeting microbiome-mediated hormonal modulation.