Standardizing vaginal microbial profiling: evaluating swab materials, storage conditions, and host DNA depletion strategies

BACKGROUND: Studies on understanding female health from a microbial perspective have proliferated in recent years; however, validated protocols for swab materials, storage conditions, and host DNA depletion remain limited for vaginal microbiome studies. This study investigates these critical aspects to enhance microbial profiling accuracy. RESULTS: Three swab materials were evaluated, with minimal variations in bacterial composition observed across different swab materials. The DNA yield and host DNA contamination remained comparable. Mock samples, used to assess the effects of storage conditions (without freezing, -20 °C, and -80 °C), revealed no significant impact on microbial composition. Additionally, the NEBNext® Microbiome DNA Enrichment Kit demonstrated effective performance in host DNA removal and bacterial community recovery, even with reduced reagent volumes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of optimizing swab selection and host DNA depletion strategies to enhance microbiome profiling in clinical samples.