20.500.12556/RUL-176179 Efficacy of fermented foods for the prevention and treatment of bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis Vaginal function in healthy women is closely associated with a lactobacilli-dominated microbiome. Among the most common conditions arising from dysbiosis are bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). While the efficacy of oral probiotics for the treatment of BV and VVC is well documented, the role of consuming fermented foods remains underexplored. This systematic review aims to present a systematic evaluation of the potential role of fermented foods in the prevention and treatment of BV and VVC and establish the extant research gap between the realm of the clinical sciences and the field of food science and technology. For this purpose, under the guidance of COST Action CA20128—Promoting Innovation of Fermented Foods (PIMENTO), a systematic literature review was conducted in two phases. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were used for Phase I to analyze articles on human trials and observational studies where the intervention/exposure involved oral consumption of fermented food. In Phase II, a two-step search strategy was employed: (i) identifying microorganisms with demonstrated clinical efficacy in managing BV and VVC, and (ii) reviewing food science literature where these strains are utilized for fermentation. It was observed that 87% of the food starter applications exploited only two of the 54 efficacious strains identified through clinical studies, namely Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5. Findings underscore the potential of fermented foods as carriers for beneficial microorganisms and their relevance in supporting vaginal health. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between nutritional consumption of viable probiotic strains and their importance in immunomodulation, highlighting the need for more integrated research efforts across disciplines. Future research aimed at filling this gap will enable informed clinical decisions and dietary recommendations. vaginosis vaginal microbiome fermented dairy food probiotic starter fermented foods woman female genital system systematic review prehrana ljudi fermentirana živila medicina mikrobiologija bakterijska vaginoza vulvovaginalna kandidoza true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-11-24 11:21:16 2025-11-24 11:21:19 2026-01-06 09:05:23 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 16 str. [article no.] ǂ1658988 Vol. 12 21 Nov. 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2025-11-21 613.2:616 2296-861X 10.3389/fnut.2025.1658988 258340611 RAZ_Akpınar_Aslı_2025.pdf RAZ_Akpınar_Aslı_2025.pdf 1 1563C21D1174C0E8E1F28B6F69F26846 d17d298e0a8000682c9578066f39268a16244a10888c2cb776307487ceb54d0f 2a7db9d7-d995-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=223712 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1658988/full?utm_source=F-NTF&utm_medium=EMLX&utm_campaign=PRD_FEOPS_20170000_ARTICLE 0 72f65a3c-ead6-11f0-bf92-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=225023 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0