scholarly journals The Effect of Essential Oils and Bioactive Fractions onStreptococcus mutansandCandida albicansBiofilms: A Confocal Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irlan Almeida Freires ◽  
Bruno Bueno-Silva ◽  
Lívia Câmara de Carvalho Galvão ◽  
Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte ◽  
Adilson Sartoratto ◽  
...  

The essential oils (EO) and bioactive fractions (BF) fromAloysia gratissima, Baccharis dracunculifolia, Coriandrum sativum, Cyperus articulatus,andLippia sidoideswere proven to have strong antimicrobial activity on planktonic microorganisms; however, little is known about their effects on the morphology or viability of oral biofilms. Previously, we determined the EO/fractions with the best antimicrobial activity againstStreptococcus mutansandCandidaspp. In this report, we used a confocal analysis to investigate the effect of these EO and BF on the morphology ofS. mutansbiofilms (thickness, biovolume, and architecture) and on the metabolic viability ofC. albicansbiofilms. The analysis of intact treatedS. mutansbiofilms showed no statistical difference for thickness in all groups compared to the control. However, a significant reduction in the biovolume of extracellular polysaccharides and bacteria was observed forA. gratissimaandL. sidoidesgroups, indicating that these BF disrupt biofilm integrity and may have created porosity in the biofilm. This phenomenon could potentially result in a weakened structure and affect biofilm dynamics. Finally,C. sativumEO drastically affectedC. albicansviability when compared to the control. These results highlight the promising antimicrobial activity of these plant species and support future translational research on the treatment of dental caries and oral candidiasis.

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 1519
Author(s):  
Mailen Ortega Cuadros ◽  
Adriana Patricia Tofiño Rivera ◽  
Luciano Jose Merini ◽  
Maria Cecilia Martinez Pabon

Dental caries is a pathology of multifactorial origin and currently natural products are an efficient alternative treatment; The work sought to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the Cymbopogon citratus essential oil and the citral and myrcene components against Streptococcus mutans ATCC UA159, as well as their cytotoxicity on keratinocytes and human fibroblasts. The viability effect against Streptococcus mutans on biofilms was evaluated through exposure to the three substances by using the MBEC technique-high-throughput at concentrations of 1, 0.1, and 0.01 µg/mL and chlorhexidine as positive control. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated on keratinocytes and fibroblasts through the MTT reduction technique, using 0.5 mM H2O2 as cell-death control (negative control) and ethanol 1% as vehicle control (positive control). The three substances evaluated had effects on the viability of Streptococcus mutans with mortality between 74% and 96%, without significant difference among them (p > 0.393); additionally, no cytotoxicity was evident on keratinocytes and fibroblasts in a 24-h treatment. The substances evaluated showed significant antimicrobial effects; hence, these should be studied further as potential co-adjuvants to prevent dental caries that cause minor adverse effects


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Dufour ◽  
Abdelahhad Barbour ◽  
Yuki Chan ◽  
Marcus Cheng ◽  
Taimoor Rahman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized proteinaceous antibacterial peptides. They selectively interfere with the growth of other bacteria. The production and secretion of bacteriocins confer a distinct ecological advantage to the producer in competing against other bacteria that are present in the same ecological niche. Streptococcus mutans, a significant contributor to the development of dental caries, is one of the most prolific producers of bacteriocins, known as mutacins in S. mutans. In this study, we characterized the locus encoding mutacin B-Ny266, a lantibiotic with a broad spectrum of activity. The chromosomal locus is composed of six predicted operon structures encoding proteins involved in regulation, antimicrobial activity, biosynthesis, modification, transport, and immunity. Mutacin B-Ny266 was purified from semisolid cultures, and two inhibitory peptides, LanA and LanA′, were detected. Both peptides were highly modified. Such modifications include dehydration of serine and threonine and the formation of a C-terminal aminovinyl-cysteine (AviCys) ring. While LanA peptide alone is absolutely required for antimicrobial activity, the presence of LanA′ enhanced the activity of LanA, suggesting that B-Ny266 may function as a two-peptide lantibiotic. The activation of lanAA′ expression is most likely controlled by the conserved two-component system NsrRS, which is activated by LanA peptide but not by LanA′. The chromosomal locus encoding mutacin B-Ny266 was not universally conserved in all sequenced S. mutans genomes. Intriguingly, the genes encoding LanAA′ peptides were restricted to the most invasive serotypes of S. mutans. IMPORTANCE Although dental caries is largely preventable, it remains the most common and costly infectious disease worldwide. Caries is initiated by the presence of dental plaque biofilm that contains Streptococcus mutans, a species extensively characterized by its role in caries development and formation. S. mutans deploys an arsenal of strategies to establish itself within the oral cavity. One of them is the production of bacteriocins that confer a competitive advantage by targeting and killing closely related competitors. In this work, we found that mutacin B-Ny266 is a potent lantibiotic that is effective at killing a wide array of oral streptococci, including nearly all S. mutans strains tested. Lantibiotics produced by oral bacteria could represent a promising strategy to target caries pathogens embedded in dental plaque biofilm.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Flavia Debiagi ◽  
Renata K.T. Kobayashi ◽  
Gerson Nakazato ◽  
Luciano Aparecido Panagio ◽  
Suzana Mali

A preferência mundial para alimentos mais saudáveis e livres de aditivos químicos pelos consumidores, associada ao aumento da resistência bacteriana, resultaram na necessidade de medidas alternativas no setor de alimentos. Os óleos correspondem a antimicrobianos naturais e constituem uma classe emergente como substitutos dos produtos químicos sintéticos na conservação de alimentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana de óleos essenciais de orégano (OEO) e cravo (CEO ) frente a bactérias, fungos e leveduras de importância no setor de alimentos. OEO e CEO foram avaliados in natura (IN) e após processamento térmico (TP) a 120 o C por 5 minutos. Para avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana frente a cada microrganismo empregou-se o método de discodifusão e o teste de microdiluição em caldo (MIC). Tanto o OEO quanto o CEO apresentaram zonas de inibição semelhantes para amostras IN e TP, indicando que a atividade antimicrobiana desses óleos são resistentes a altas temperaturas. Os microrganismos mais sensíveis para ambos os óleos essenciais foram os fungos (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium citrinum e Candida albicans), seguidos por Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus e Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina (MRSA). Já as cepas Streptococcus mutans e Enterococcus faecalis apresentaram uma maior resistência frente à atividade antimicrobiana dos óleos essenciais. Em geral, os maiores halos de inibição e menores valores de MIC foram obtidos quando empregado o OEO, sugerindo uma maior atividade microbiana do mesmo quando comparado ao CEO


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Dewi Nurul Mustaqimah ◽  
Josh Erry HW

The increasing prevalence of dental caries is still as a major world health problem. Caries is the direct result of acid production by cariogenic oral pathogens, especially Streptococcus mutans. New and better antimicrobial agents active against cariogenic bacteria with minimal side effects on the oral tissues are much needed, especially natural agents derived directly from plants. Phytochemical studies have shown that the extracts from various parts of mangosteen or Garciniamangostana Linn tree contain varieties of secondary metabolites such as prenylated and oxygenated xanthones, many of which have been found in vitro to have antimicrobial properties against oral pathogens. Several studies which examined the eficacy of herbal for human health have shown that xanthones from mangosteen have remarkable biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer etc, and had no cytotoxic effects on human gingival fibroblasts. Their results showed that among these xanthone derivatives obtain from pericarp extract of mangosteen, α-mangostin has the most potent antimicrobial activity against cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. It can be concluded that the strong antimicrobial activity of the pericarp extract of mangosteen is a good drug of choice that might be helpful in preventing the dental caries.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Loyola-Rodriguez ◽  
Rita Elizabeth Martinez-Martinez ◽  
Blanca Irma Flores-Ferreyra ◽  
Nuria Patiño-Marin ◽  
Angel Gabriel Alpuche-Solis ◽  
...  

The aim of the study was to investigate the distribution of mutans streptococci (MS) infection of caries-free(CF) and caries-active (CA) preschool Mexican children by microbial and molecular assays. Eighty preschool children were divided into two groups, 40 CF and 40 CA children. Saliva samples were inoculated onto MSB to identify CFU and DNA extractions were tested by PCR. Our results indicated that there was no statistical difference (p>0.05) between groups either in age, weight, height or sex. S. sobrinus was detected by PCR twice as much in the CA group, the difference being statistically significant (p<0.05). dmfs index was positive correlated with S. mutans (r=0.2941, p=0.0081), S. sobrinus (r=0.3384, p=0.0021) and S. mutans-S. sobrinus (r=0.3978, p=0.0003). ANCOVA revealed that dmfs index had a significant effect on the distribution of CFU of S. mutans (p=0.0118) and S. sobrinus (p=0.03). When MSB was compared with PCR to identify MS, there was no statistical difference (p>0.05). We conclude that S. mutans and S. sobrinus were isolated in higher numbers from CA children and those harbouring both bacteria had higher dmfs scores. PCR is a useful tool in molecular epidemiology for dental caries studies; it was effective in detecting and identifying MS from saliva in children.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yalan Deng ◽  
Yingming Yang ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Yangyu Lu ◽  
...  

AbstractStreptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is generally regarded as a major contributor to dental caries because of its ability to synthesize extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) that aid in the formation of plaque biofilm. The VicRKX system of S. mutans plays an important role in biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vicK gene on specific characteristics of EPS in S. mutans biofilm. We constructed single-species biofilms formed by different mutants of vicK gene. Production and distribution of EPS were detected through atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Microcosmic structures of EPS were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cariogenicity of the vicK mutant was assessed in a specific pathogen-free rat model. Transcriptional levels of cariogenicity-associated genes were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that deletion of vicK gene suppressed biofilm formation as well as EPS production, and EPS were synthesized mostly around the cells. Molecular weight and monosaccharide components underwent evident alterations. Biofilms formed in vivo were sparse and contributed a decreased degree of caries. Moreover, expressional levels of genes related to EPS synthesis were down-regulated, except for gtfB. Our report demonstrates that vicK gene enhances biofilm formation and subsequent caries development. And this may due to its regulations on EPS metabolism, like synthesis or microcosmic features of EPS. This study suggests that vicK gene and EPS can be considered as promising targets to modulate dental caries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoying Lyu ◽  
Chungen Li ◽  
Jin Zhang ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Qingsong Jiang ◽  
...  

Dental caries is a chronic oral infectious disease caused by cariogenic biofilm adhered on the tooth surface. Our previous study demonstrated that a repurposed natural compound napabucasin (NAP) showed good antimicrobial activity against oral streptococcal biofilms. The current study designed a novel small molecule, namely LCG-N25, using NAP as a lead compound, and aimed to investigate its potential as an antimicrobial agent in the control of dental caries. LCG-N25 was designed and synthesized with reference to the structure of NAP. The minimal inhibitory concentrations and the minimal bactericidal concentrations of LCG-N25 against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Streptococcus gordonii were evaluated by microdilution method. The antimicrobial activity of LCG-N25 was further evaluated by crystal violet staining, colony forming units counting, biofilm metabolism assay, dead/live fluorescent staining, and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of LCG-N25 on the extracellular polysaccharides of biofilms was determined by both anthrone-sulfuric acid method and fluorescent staining. The microbial composition of streptococcal biofilms after LCG-N25 treatment was further visualized and quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Besides, the cytotoxicity of LCG-N25 was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and repeated exposure of S. mutans to LCG-N25 treatment was performed to assess if this novel compound could induce drug resistance of this cariogenic bacterium. We found that LCG-N25 exhibited a good antibacterial activity, low-cytotoxicity, and did not induce drug resistance of cariogenic S. mutans. These findings suggest that LCG-N25 may represent a promising antimicrobial agent that can be used as an adjuvant to the management of dental caries.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1540
Author(s):  
Sirui Yang ◽  
Jin Zhang ◽  
Ran Yang ◽  
Xin Xu

Dental caries, as a common oral infectious disease, is a worldwide public health issue. Oral biofilms are the main cause of dental caries. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is well recognized as the major causative factor of dental caries within oral biofilms. In addition to mechanical removal such as tooth brushing and flossing, the topical application of antimicrobial agents is necessarily adjuvant to the control of caries particularly for high-risk populations. The mainstay antimicrobial agents for caries such as chlorhexidine have limitations including taste confusions, mucosal soreness, tooth discoloration, and disruption of an oral microbial equilibrium. Antimicrobial small molecules are promising in the control of S. mutans due to good antimicrobial activity, good selectivity, and low toxicity. In this paper, we discussed the application of antimicrobial small molecules to the control of S. mutans, with a particular focus on the identification and development of active compounds and their modes of action against the growth and virulence of S. mutans.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1135-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gudaniya Kasthuri ◽  
A. Neethi Reddy ◽  
P. Manasa Roopa ◽  
Deveeka. K. Zamare

ABSTRACT: The development of drug resistance in pathogens due to over exploitation of the drugs is urging the need of finding alternative method for controlling the growth of these pathogens. The dental biofilms development leads to the dental caries which when neglected can be serious. The oral biofilm is a complex colonization of different pathogens, whereas Streptococcus mutans paves the path for the formation of these stubborn biofilms by makeing use of dietary sugars and accumulates on tooth surface through exopolysaccharides (EPS). The current life style and eating habits are favoring the plaque development leading in to dental caries. Here we amide to eliminate the dread of development of drug resistance in to the pathogens by mechanical damage and combination of treatment as an alternate option for destruction of Streptococcus mutans. This was accomplished by the application of Iron Nanoparticles (FeNP). It was observed that the antimicrobial activity of natural and synthetic drugs can be enhanced by the synergy of FeNP. The popular natural products like Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) buds, Azadirachta indica (Neem) leaves and Camellia sinensis (Green tea) leaves were tested for their activity against the Streptococcus mutans. The enhanced antimicrobial activity were tested by treating Streptococcus mutans with different combination of treatments like only plant extract, Plant extract with FeNP, plant extract with FeNP and Amoxicillin to obtain a comparative analysis of its effects. The study showed that the activity of antimicrobial agent can be enhanced when added with FeNP. The FeNP were green synthesized from the extracts of Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) buds, Azadirachta indica (Neem) leaves and Camellia sinensis (Green tea) leaves and was characterized by UV,FTIR and SEM studiesand zeta potential studies.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document