Uro Vaginal Probiotic | Supplementopedia

Overview

Uro Vaginal Probiotic is a dietary supplement designed to support urogenital health. It delivers a blend of clinically studied lactobacilli strains specifically selected to colonize the urinary tract and vaginal mucosa. Its primary purpose is to reinforce the native microbiota, thereby helping to maintain a balanced, acidic environment that discourages pathogenic overgrowth.

Benefits

Urogenital health: Clinical trials with Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus show reduced recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and lower rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) recurrence (≥30 % reduction in 12‑week trials).
Barrier function: Enhanced epithelial tight‑junction protein expression (e.g., claudin‑1, occludin) improves mucosal barrier integrity, decreasing pathogen translocation.
Anti‑inflammatory activity: Lactobacilli produce lactic acid and bacteriocins that suppress pro‑inflammatory cytokines (IL‑1β, TNF‑α) in the urogenital mucosa, reducing local inflammation.
Metabolic support: Short‑chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated by the strains improve glucose homeostasis in animal models, suggesting a modest metabolic benefit.
Potential systemic effects: Emerging data link vaginal microbiota composition to systemic immune modulation, which may indirectly support cognitive and physical resilience, though human data remain limited.

How It Works

Process: Uro Vaginal Probiotic delivers viable lactobacilli that adhere to uro‑vaginal epithelial cells via surface adhesins (e.g., mucus‑binding proteins).
Fermentation: Once colonized, the bacteria ferment glycogen‑derived glucose into L‑lactic acid (C₃H₆O₃, 2‑hydroxypropanoic acid), lowering pH to ≤4.5, an environment hostile to Escherichia coli and Gardnerella spp.
Bacteriocin Secretion: The bacteria also secrete bacteriocins (e.g., lactocin 160) that disrupt bacterial cell membranes.
Hydrogen Peroxide Production: The bacteria also secrete hydrogen peroxide that oxidatively damages pathogens.
Nrf2-Keap1 Pathway Stimulation: By stimulating the Nrf2‑Keap1 pathway, lactobacilli up‑regulate antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase) and down‑regulate NF‑κB, dampening inflammation.
TLR-2 Engagement: Their peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acid components engage Toll‑like receptor 2 (TLR‑2), promoting regulatory T‑cell (Treg) expansion and IL‑10 production, further stabilizing the mucosal immune environment.

Dosage

Standard Dosage: Typical commercial formulations provide 1 × 10⁹–5 × 10⁹ CFU per capsule, with a standard daily dose of 1–2 capsules taken once daily.
Acute Prophylaxis: For acute prophylaxis (e.g., before a planned catheterization) a loading dose of 2 × 10⁹ CFU twice daily for three days may be recommended, followed by maintenance dosing.
Administration Timing: The product should be taken on an empty stomach (30 min before or 2 h after meals) to maximize gastric survival.
Recurrent BV: In women with recurrent BV, studies have used 10⁹ CFU administered daily for 30 days, then 2‑3 times per week for maintenance.
Pregnancy/Lactation: Pregnant or lactating women should consult a health professional before initiating; some clinicians suggest a reduced dose (5 × 10⁸ CFU) if gastrointestinal tolerance is an issue.

Safety & Side Effects

General Safety: Uro Vaginal Probiotic is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for most adults.
Adverse Events: Reported adverse events are mild and include transient bloating, flatulence, or mild diarrhoea (≤5 % of users).
Contraindications: Contraindications include severe immunocompromise (e.g., post‑transplant, chemotherapy) where opportunistic infection risk is higher.
Antibiotic Interaction: Antibiotic co‑administration can reduce viability; spacing the probiotic ≥2 h from antibiotics is recommended.
Antifungal Interaction: Potential drug interactions are minimal, though antifungal agents may reduce colonization.
Pregnancy/Lactation/Pediatric Use: Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use are considered safe at standard doses, but infants < 3 months should avoid probiotic supplementation unless prescribed.
Medical Advice: Individuals with a history of endocarditis should seek medical advice before use.

Chemistry

Active Component: The active component is a live microbial consortium, primarily Lactobacillus crispatus (ATCC 33820) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 53103).
Key Effector: The key biochemical effector is L‑lactic acid (C₃H₆O₃, IUPAC: 2‑hydroxypropanoic acid), a product of carbohydrate fermentation.
Cell Wall Components: The bacterial cell wall contains N‑acetyl‑muramic acid (C₁₁H₂₁N₁O₈) and N‑acetyl‑glucosamine (C₈H₁₅NO₆) units forming the peptidoglycan lattice, and lipoteichoic acid (poly‑glycerol phosphate) that contributes to immunomodulation.
Delivery System: The probiotic’s viability is protected by a microencapsulation matrix of alginate (C₆H₈O₆)n and calcium cross-linking, providing a stable pH‑responsive delivery system.

Sources & Quality

Strain Isolation: The lactobacilli strains are isolated from healthy human vaginal and urinary samples, then deposited in recognized culture collections (e.g., ATCC, DSMZ).
Production Process: Production follows Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), using fermentation in controlled bioreactors with sterile, defined media (e.g., de‑proteinized whey, glucose).
Post-Fermentation Processing: Post‑fermentation, cells are harvested, washed, and freeze‑dried (lyophilized) under low‑temperature conditions to preserve viability.
Encapsulation: The final product is encapsulated in gastro‑resistant capsules to protect against gastric acid.
Quality Control: Quality control includes CFU enumeration, species verification via 16S rRNA sequencing, and absence of pathogens (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli).
Batch Consistency: Batch‑to‑batch consistency is ensured by HPLC quantification of lactic acid content and stability testing under various storage conditions.