Effect of vaginal probiotic lactobacilli on in vitro–induced sperm lipid peroxidation and its impact on sperm motility and viability

A combination of three selected strains of lactobacilli (Lactobacillus brevis [CD2], L. salivarius [FV2], and L. plantarum [FV9]), whose effectiveness in treating bacterial vaginosis in the form of vaginal tablets has been reported recently, prevented sperm lipid peroxidation that was induced in vitro by a ferrous ion promoter, thus preserving sperm motility and viability. This finding suggests the potential of vaginal probiotic lactobacilli for protecting human spermatozoa from radical oxygen species in the presence of vaginal disorders, thereby improving the fertilization potential of the female host.