Probiotic intervention as a potential therapeutic for managing gestational disorders and improving pregnancy outcomes

J Reprod Immunol. 2021 Feb:143:103244. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2020.103244. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Abstract

Recent molecular investigations have significantly developed our knowledge of the characteristics of the reproductive microbiome and their associations with host responses to provide an ideal milieu for the development of the embryo during the peri-implantation period and throughout pregnancy as well as to provide a successful in vitro fertilization and appropriate reproductive outcomes. In this context, the establishment of microbial homeostasis in the female reproductive tract, in various physiological periods, is a substantial challenge, which appears the application of probiotics can facilitate the achievement of this goal. So that, currently, probiotics due to its safe and natural features can be considered as a novel biotherapeutic approach. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the bacterial, fungal, and viral diversity detected in the reproductive tract, and their associations with the establishment of dysbiosis/eubiosis conditions as well as we present the significant outcomes on probiotic intervention as an efficient biotherapeutic strategy for management of gestational disorders and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: Fertility; Gestational disorders; Pregnancy outcomes; Probiotics; Reproductive microbiome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Dietary Supplements
  • Dysbiosis / diet therapy*
  • Dysbiosis / immunology
  • Dysbiosis / microbiology
  • Female
  • Genitalia, Female / immunology
  • Genitalia, Female / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Microbiota / immunology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / diet therapy*
  • Pregnancy Complications / immunology
  • Pregnancy Complications / microbiology
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Probiotics / therapeutic use*