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Zinc Lactate and Sapindin Act Synergistically with Lactocin 160 Against Gardnerella vaginalis

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Abstract

Lactocin 160 is a vaginal probiotic-derived bacteriocin shown to selectively inhibit the growth of Gardenerella vaginalis and some other pathogens commonly associated with bacterial vaginosis. The natural origin of this peptide, its safety, and selective antimicrobial properties make it a promising candidate for successful treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial vaginosis (BV). This study evaluated interactions between lactocin 160 and four other natural antimicrobials in the ability to inhibit G. vaginalis. We report that zinc lactate and soapnut extract act synergistically with lactocin 160 against this pathogen and therefore have a potential to be successfully used as the components of the multiple-hurdle antimicrobial formulation for the treatment of BV.

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Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by NIH Grant “Natural antimicrobials against bacterial vaginosis” NCCAM NIH R21AT002897-01. The authors thank Dr. Katia Sutyak Noll for the editorial work.

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  1. School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901-8520, USA

    Yevgeniy Turovskiy & Michael L. Chikindas

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  1. Yevgeniy Turovskiy
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  2. Michael L. Chikindas
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Correspondence to Michael L. Chikindas.

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Turovskiy, Y., Chikindas, M.L. Zinc Lactate and Sapindin Act Synergistically with Lactocin 160 Against Gardnerella vaginalis . Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. 3, 144–149 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-011-9068-5

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