Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is defined as “idiopathic orofacial pain with intraoral burning or dysesthesia recurring daily for more than 2 hours per day and more than 3 months, without any identifiable causative lesions, with or without somatosensory changes” in International Classification of Orofacial Pain, 2020. Worldwide prevalence of BMS was estimated to be 1.73% in population-based studies, while female and elderly are at higher risk of BMS. The aim of this narrative review is to clarify the main etiopathogenetic factors of BMS investigated so far in the scientific literature. There is growing evidence of an important role of peripheral neuropathology in BMS, supported by immunohistochemical studies which have demonstrated a significant loss of epithelial and subepithelial nerve fibers. Other possible etiopathogenetic factors emerging from literature are laryngopharyngeal reflux and hormonal and salivary changes related to aging and menopause. Finally, the role of the oral microbiota in BMS has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Further studies are necessary to investigate the probably multifactorial etiopathogenesis of primary BMS, a pathology which has a serious impact on the quality of life of our patients, a disease we find ourselves treating without the adequate therapy and the necessary knowledge.

Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common urogenital diseases affecting women in reproductive age. The administration of probiotics as vaginal suppository has been proposed as a strategy to cure this condition and reduce its recurrence. Nonetheless, also oral consumption of probiotics, which is a more practical route of administration, proved to be an efficient strategy. In this perspective, we studied Lactobacillus paracasei LPC-S01 (DSM 26760), a human vaginal isolate included in commercial probiotic preparations for topical use, in order to assess if this bacterium can also perform as gastrointestinal probiotic. Comparative genomics revealed the presence of several accessory genes suggesting that LPC-S01 is a niche-generalist member of its species. According to a procedure conventionally used to predict the probiotic potential, we demonstrated that the probiotic properties of strain LPC-S01 are equal (e.g., bile tolerance and reduction of NF-κB activation in Caco-2 cells) or superior (e.g., tolerance to gastric juice and adhesion to Caco-2 epithelial cells) to those of the well-known probiotic reference L. paracasei Shirota. We then demonstrated that LPC-S01 is susceptible to antibiotics indicated by EFSA and does not produce biogenic amines. Finally, a double-blind cross-over pilot intervention trial on healthy human volunteers showed that, after a 7-days oral consumption of capsules containing about 24 billion live cells, the fecal cell concentrations of strains LPC-S01 and DG (evaluated by qPCR) were not dissimilar. Specifically, both probiotics’ cell concentrations were above the detection limit for an average of 5 days from the end of the treatment, corresponding to a mean number of evacuations of 7 ± 2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the vaginal isolate L. paracasei LPC-S01 possesses safety and functional properties that may support its use as probiotic to be administered per os for potential intestinal as well as vaginal applications.

Diverticular disease (DD) is a common gastrointestinal condition. Patients with DD experience a huge variety of chronic nonspecific symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits. They are also at risk of complications such as acute diverticulitis, abscess formation, hemorrhage, and perforation. Intestinal dysbiosis and chronic inflammation have recently been recognized as potential key factors contributing to disease progression. Probiotics, due to their ability to modify colonic microbiota balance and to their immunomodulatory effects, could present a promising treatment option for patients with DD. Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I 1572 (LCDG) is a probiotic strain with the capacity to rebalance gut microbiota and to decrease intestinal inflammation. This review summarizes the available clinical data on the use of LCDG in subjects with colonic DD.

The exposure of lung epithelium to environmental hazards is linked to several chronic respiratory diseases. We assessed the ability of an inhaled dry powder (DPI) medical device product (PolmonYDEFENCE/DYFESA^TM, SOFAR SpA, Trezzano Rosa, Italy), using a formulation of sodium hyaluronate (Na-Hya) as the key ingredient as a defensive barrier to protect the upper respiratory tract. Specifically, it was evaluated if the presence of the barrier formed by sodium hyaluronate present on the cells, reducing direct contact of the urban dust (UD) with the surface of cells can protect them in an indirect manner by the inflammatory and oxidative process started in the presence of the UD. Cytotoxicity and the protection capability against the oxidative stress of the product were tested in vitro using Calu-3 cells exposure to UD as a trigger for oxidative stress. Inflammation and wound healing were assessed using an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture model of the Calu-3 cells. Deposition studies of the formulation were conducted using a modified Anderson cascade impactor (ACI) and the monodose PillHaler^® dry powder inhaler (DPI) device, Na-Hya was detected and quantified using high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC). Solubilised PolmonYDEFENCE/DYFESA^TM gives protection against oxidative stress in Calu-3 cells in the short term (2 h) without any cytotoxic effects. ALI culture experiments, testing the barrier-forming (non-solubilised) capabilities of PolmonYDEFENCE/DYFESA^TM, showed that the barrier layer reduced inflammation triggered by UD and the time for wound closure compared to Na-Hya alone. Deposition experiments using the ACI and the PillHaler^® DPI device showed that the majority of the product was deposited in the upper part of the respiratory tract. Finally, the protective effect of the product was efficacious for up to 24 h without affecting mucus production. We demonstrated the potential of PolmonYDEFENCE/DYFESA^TM as a preventative barrier against UD, which may aid in protecting the upper respiratory tract against environmental hazards and help with chronic respiratory diseases.