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In the last years, the use of probiotics, including Lactobacillus species, has received much attention to prevent and treat vaginal disorders. These species have been described as having the ability to colonize the epithelial surface and produce antimicrobial metabolites that are able to control the remaining vaginal microflora. This study aimed to identify and characterize, for the first time, a bacteriocin natively produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 (probiotic strain from Gynoflor®-Medinova AG, Switzerland) and its antimicrobial activity against relevant urogenital pathogens. After organic acids and hydrogen peroxide neutralization in the fermented Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 culture medium, bacteriocin activity was tested against the indicator microorganism Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC9649. The fermentation of Lactobacillus acidophilus KS400 for bacteriocin production was carried out in batch mode, and its antimicrobial activity, optical density and pH were monitored. After production and extraction, the bacteriocin molecular weight was estimated by electrophoresis and tested against vaginal pathogenic microorganisms. As described for other bacteriocins, batch fermentation profiles indicated that bacteriocin production occurs during the exponential growth phase of the lactobacilli, and declines during their stationary growth phase. The molecular weight of the bacteriocin is approximately 7.5 kDa. The bacteriocin containing protein extract was shown to inhibit the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the indicator strain Lactobacillus delbrueckii ATCC9649. We conclude that L. acidophilus KS400 produces bacteriocin with antimicrobial activity against relevant urogenital pathogens.

The vitreous humor (VH) is the largest component of the eye. It is a colorless, gelatinous, highly hydrated matrix that fills the posterior segment of the eye between the lens and retina in vertebrates. In VH, a diversity of proteins that can influence retinal physiology is present, including growth factors, hormones, proteins with transporter activity, and enzymes. More importantly, the protein composition of VH has been described as being altered in a number of disease states. Therefore, attempts aiming at establishing a map of VH proteins and detecting putative biomarkers for ocular illness or protein fluctuations with putative physiologic significance were conducted over the last two decades, using proteomic approaches. Proteomic strategies often involve gel-based or LC techniques as sample fractioning approaches, subsequently coupled with MS procedures. This set of studies resulted in the proteomic characterization of a range of ocular disease samples, with particular incidence on diabetic retinopathy. However, practical therapeutic applications arising from these studies are scarce at the moment. A pertinent example of therapeutic targets arising from VH proteomics has emerged concerning vasoproliferative factors present in the vitreous, which should be involved in neovascularization and subsequent fibrovascular proliferation of the retina, in ocular disease context. Therefore, this review attempts to sum up the information acquired from the proteomic approaches to ocular disease conducted in VH samples, highlighting its clinical potential for disclosing ocular disease mechanisms and engendering pharmacological therapeutic treatments.

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