Postbiotic gel application, collection and analysis of vaginal secretions
vaginosis, leucorrhea, vulvar itching
VAGINOSIS, STERILE, VAGINA
Participants was registered to participate in this trial by providing basic demographic information (age: 35.8 ± 8.96) before the start of the trial. The gel was applied every night and avoided the menstrual period. To apply the gel, subjects first cleaned their hands and vulva with warm water, took a product, slightly lifted the hips in a supine position, slowly inserted the gel catheter containing the gel into the deep part of the vagina, pushed it into the pubic area with a pusher, and maintained the posture for about 15 minutes. The product was applied every night for seven days.Sample collection is carried out by professional doctors. Fresh vaginal secretions were collected with sterile cottons before the start of medication and the next day of the last gel application. In order to obtain fresh samples, we collect the secretions of volunteers according to strict methods and submit them for examination as soon as possible. First of all, sterile cotton swabs were gently rotated in the subjects’ posterior vaginal fornix to collect fresh vaginal secretions. After sampling, cottons with the samples were placed in test tubes containing physiological saline and stored at -80°C until further processing. At the same time, symptoms of subjects, including severity of vulvar itching and leucorrhea, color and odor of vaginal secretions were recorded. The biochemical and microbiological properties of vaginal secretion were determined in the laboratory within 30 minutes of sample collection by a medical professional. Hydrogen peroxide test was performed using a combined aerobic vaginitis/bacterial vaginosis five-item qualitative test kit (based on an enzyme-chemical reaction method; CSC Goldfield Diagnostics, Beijing, China). The presence of lactobacilli, fungi, and the cleanliness of collected samples were observed using a microscope (Olympus Corporation of Japan). The pH of the vaginal secretion was determined using pH test strips. All assessments were operated by professional doctors or personnel, and the data were entered and confirmed by more than two medical staff to ensure data consistency and accuracy. A total of 50 subjects completed the clinical assessment in the trial, and 47 subjects provided a complete sample (two vaginal secretions).