Probiotic Yeast Supports Vaginal Health in Two New Studies

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Yeast-ingredients supplier Lesaffre Human Care (Marcq-en-Barœul, France) announced the results of two new studies indicating that its proprietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 probiotic strain, now known commercially in the women's health market as Florigyn, may help prevent vaginal infections and help women manage their intimate health. In the published studies, Florigyn was shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties the helped control vaginal candidiasis symptoms. In addition, Florigyn was determined to be safe and well-tolerated.

The first study,¹ conducted by Lesaffre and published in the Medical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, examined the effects of oral administration of Florigyn as an “adjuvant therapy” in women experiencing vaginal candidiasis. The researchers write that as many as 75% of women will experience at least one episode of vaginal candidiasis in their lifetime, the symptoms of which include pruritus, burning, erythema, and discharge. They write that Candida albicans is the main causative agent of vaginal candidiasis although other non-albicansCandida such as C. glabrata can be involved. If the vaginal microflora is altered, or if the host immune system is thrown out of balance, C. albicans can proliferate out of control, and thus, can cause vaginal candidiasis. 

In this pilot study, researchers sought to determine whether a natural alternative to conventional drug treatments, Florigyn, could be an effective method for managing vaginal candidiasis symptoms and, importantly, helping to prevent any relapse of vaginal candidiasis symptoms. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study featured 22 female subjects who were clinically diagnosed with vaginal candidiasis. The study was conducted over the course of four visits: one pre-inclusion visit, one inclusion visit, a follow-up visit, and an end-of-study visit. Prior to the first visit, subjects were given either one capsule of 500 mg of Florigyn or the equivalent dose of a placebo to be taken once per day for a total of 56 days. At each clinical and gynecological visit, researchers obtained vaginal swabs. Physicians also assessed the severity of the following symptoms of vaginal candidiasis: erythema, edema, vagina redness, vulva redness, vagina ulceration, and uterus ulceration. The severity of these symptoms was determined using a scale of 0-3, with 0 representing an absent symptom and 3 representing a severe symptom. 

By the end of the two-month pilot study, the group supplemented with Florigyn demonstrated significantly lower levels of Candida vaginal load than did the placebo group. Moreover, by the end of the study, 67% of placebo subjects saw a relapse of symptoms, while only 31% of Florigyn subjects experienced the same.

The researchers concluded that Florigyn “is efficient in controlling vaginal Candida proliferation after conventional treatment, thus limiting vaginal candidiasis recurrence.” In addition, they noted that it is safe, well-tolerated, and easy to use.

In the second study,² which was published in February in the journal Beneficial Microbes, researchers sought to examine the mechanism of action by which Florigyn exerts its therapeutic benefits against vaginal candidiasis. “The data suggest that the beneficial effect exerted by this S. cerevisiae-based probiotic is the result of its interference with the expression of fungus virulence factors coupled with the modulation of the inflammatory response of the host,” they write. The ingredient was shown to inhibit the expression of several fungal components that contribute to vaginal inflammation typical of candida vaginitis.

Véronique Lhommet, women’s health product manager, Lesaffre, commented on the study results in a press statement from the company: “As an ingredient supplier, we believe that obtaining such scientific validation is paramount.” The company stated that it plans to continue investing in research on topics including women’s health, including both in-house research, as well as through partnerships with academic members, independent clinicians, and other experts in their field.

* June 12, 2018, 12:00 PM PST: Story updated to change name of branded ingredient from ibSium to Florigyn. ibSium refers to the company's ingredient developed for management of gastrointestinal disorders.

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References:

1. Cayzeele-Decherf A et al., “Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 as a natural breakthrough for vaginal health: A clinical study,” Medical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Published online December 21, 2017.
2. Gabrielli E et al., “Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based probiotic as novel anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory agent for therapy of vaginal candidiasis,” Benecifical Microbes, vol. 9, no. 2 (2018): 219-230