A Natural Preventative to Menstrual-Related Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome

Abstract

Menstrual-related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a bacterial disease contracted by thegrowth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus ), affects over 10,000 women annually in the UnitedStates. S. aureus enters and infects the bloodstream via small lacerations made in the vaginal walls while inserting menstrual products, such as tampons and feminine sponges. TSS is often misdiagnosed, however if detected early and treated with antibiotics harbors the risk of bacterial mutation and resistance in the body. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a natural preventative terminates the risk of contracting TSS. This experiment tested two natural substances: (1) green tea, a known antimicrobial, and (2) reduced glutathione (GSH), a by product of Lactobacillus fermentum , an essential bacterium needed for vaginal health. To model vaginal conditions in experimentation, all cultures of S. aureus were tested at the average vaginal pH 4 and measured in a spectrophotometer (OD 600). One-way analysis of variance technique indicated that green tea, GSH, and the combination of the two were inhibitors of the bacterium (P-value <0.01); moreover, the combination of both elements not only inhibited but also killed S.aureus. Furthermore, Tukey’s multiple comparison method found that the inhibitory growths of bacteria were also statistically significant (P-value <0.01). In summary, the absence of the growth of S. aureus due to the combination of green tea and reduced glutathione support their potential use as a natural topical preventative to menstrual-related Toxic Shock Syndrome.