Vaginal lactobacilli protect against bacterial vaginosis and vaginal candidiasis. They may have probiotic properties and help maintain the balance and health of the vaginal ecosystem while the loss of these bacteria predisposes females to urinary and genital infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the probiotic potential of vaginal Lactobacillus among healthy females in northern Iran. The Lactobacillus strains were isolated from vaginal samples and were identified by sequencing of the 16S rRNA fragment. Functional properties such as tolerance to low pH, H₂O₂ production, adherence ability to Hela cells and antagonistic activity against Candida albicans was examined. A total of 38 vaginal lactobacilli strains from five species, including Lactobacillus crispatus (n = 13), Lactobacillus gasseri (n = 10), Lactobacillus acidophilus (n = 6), Lactobacillus jensenii (n = 5) and Lactobacillus johnsonii (n = 4), were identified. All of the species showed significant tolerance to low pH over 24 h (p < 0.001). The best adherence ability to Hela cells was seen in Lactobacillus gasseri strains. Nearly 17 of the strains had higher anti-candida activity compared to the other strains. According to the findings, four lactobacilli strains isolated in the vaginal samples of healthy Iranian women had the best probiotic potential.

阴道乳酸杆菌可预防细菌性阴道病和阴道念珠菌病。它们可能具有益生菌特性，有助于维持阴道生态系统的平衡和健康，而这些细菌的丧失会使女性容易遭受泌尿和生殖器感染。本研究的目的是调查伊朗北部健康女性阴道乳酸菌的益生潜力。从阴道样本中分离出乳酸杆菌菌株，并通过16S rRNA片段测序进行鉴定。检查了功能特性，例如对低pH的耐受性、H ₂ O ₂的产生、对Hela细胞的粘附能力以及对白色念珠菌的拮抗活性。总共 38 株阴道乳杆菌，来自 5 个物种，包括卷曲乳杆菌(n = 13)、加氏乳杆菌(n = 10)、嗜酸乳杆菌(n = 6)、詹森乳杆菌(n = 5) 和约氏乳杆菌(n = 4) ），被识别。所有物种在 24 小时内都表现出对低 pH 值的显着耐受性 ( p  < 0.001)。加氏乳杆菌菌株对 Hela 细胞的粘附能力最强。与其他菌株相比，近 17 个菌株具有更高的抗念珠菌活性。根据研究结果，从健康伊朗女性的阴道样本中分离出的四种乳酸杆菌菌株具有最佳的益生菌潜力。