• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.490-496
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• 2006

This study aimed to evaluate in vitro effects of Rheum undulatum L. root on the development of dental caries, especially its effects on viability, dental plaque formation, and glycolytic acid production of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Methanol extract of Rheum undulatum L. root and its fractions were prepared and tested. Among the test extract and fractions, dichloromethane fraction (DF) showed the most active antibacterial activity (inhibition zone: 13-17 mm) against S. mutans and S. sobrinus in a disc diffusion method. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of DF against these bacteria ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 mg/mL. Furthermore, DF significantly inhibited the caries-inducing factors of these bacteria. At sub-MIC levels, DF inhibited in vitro dental plaque formation by S. mutans and S. sobrinus ($IC_{50}$= 0.079 and 0.142 mg/mL, respectively), which was caused, in part, by the inhibitory effect on the activity of glucosyltransferases. A significant reduction of glycolytic acid production was found at the concentration as low as 0.032 mg/mL for S. mutans and 0.063 mg/mL for S. sobrinus. The possible bioactive compounds that are inducing in vitro anti-cariogenic activity of DF are unknown. Based on the preliminary phytochemical analysis, the activity of DF may be related to the presence of anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, coumarines, sterols/terpenes, and phenolics. These results indicate that DF is probably useful for the control of dental plaque formation and subsequent dental caries development.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.224-228
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• 2018

Objectives: As a first step to study the anticaries effect of ethanol alone, we investigated the effects of ethanol on the expression levels of the atpB gene and proton permeability of Streptococcus mutans in suspension cultures. Methods: S. mutans UA159 was grown in brain heart infusion medium at either pH 4.8 or 6.8. The total extracted RNA was reverse-transcribed into cDNA using a $Superscript^{TM}$ First-Strand Synthesis System. The resulting cDNA and negative controls were amplified by ABI PRISM 7700 real-time PCR system with SYBR Green PCR Master Mix. For proton flux assay, bacterial suspensions were titrated to pH 4.6 with 0.5 M HCl, and then additional 0.5 M HCl was added to decrease the pH values by approximately 0.4 units. The subsequent increase in pH was monitored using a glass electrode. Ten percent (v/v) butanol was added to the suspensions at 80 min to disrupt the cell membrane. Results: In a concentration-dependent manner, ethanol alone not only decreased the growth rate of S. mutans and the expression of the atpB gene but also increased the proton permeability at both pH 4.8 and 6.8. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ethanol has the potential for an anticaries ingredient. We believe that ethanol may be used together with fluoride and/or other cariostatic agents in order to develop better anticaries toothpastes and/or mouthrinses.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.210-215
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• 2018

Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to verify the antibacterial activity of two essential oils, lavender and peppermint, against dental caries and to review their synergistic effect when used in combination. Our results provide basic data for the evaluation of the use of these two substances towards the prevention and cure of dental caries. Methods: The sample solutions of lavender and peppermint oils were prepared in three different concentrations (30%, 50%, and 70% (v/v)) by diluting them with third-distilled water and Tween 20. Streptococcus mutans was selected as the bacterial species for testing. The disk diffusion method was used to measure the antibacterial activity of the sample solutions. For generating growth curves and measuring the number of clusters of the bacterial, the liquid medium-dilution method was used; the absorbance of the medium was measured at 600 nm after 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours. Results: When the antibacterial activity of the oils was tested via the disk diffusion method, the activity improved with increasing concentrations of all the sample solutions of peppermint, lavender, and the blend, but there was no significant difference between them with respect to the type of oil. In the growth curves of S. mutans, growth inhibition was observed after 12 hours. The inhibitory effect of 30% lavender oil on growth was 64.9% and 80.1% after 12 and 24 hours of treatment, respectively whereas that of peppermint oil was 71.3% and 80.1% after 12 and 24 hours of treatment, respectively. The inhibitory effect of the blended oil was 71.9% and 81.0% after 12 and 24 hours of treatment, respectively. Conclusions: Further research is still required in order to determine the efficacy of lavender and peppermint oils, as well as other essential oils, for wider use in preventing dental caries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1457-1460
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• 2017

Seven flavonoids were isolated from Spatholobus suberectus via repetitive column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with values reported in the literature. Among the flavonoids tested, 7-hydroxy-6-methoxyflavanone (1) and formononetin (4) exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Streptococcus mutans SrtA, with $IC_{50}$ values of 46.1 and $41.8{\mu}M$, respectively, but did not affect cell viability. The onset and magnitude of inhibition of saliva-induced aggregation in S. mutans treated with compounds 1 and 4 were comparable to the behavior of a srtA-deletion mutant without treatment.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.277-281
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• 1990

The isolation and identification of an antibacterial component, from Polygoni Radix against a cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176, were carried out for development of anticariogenic agents. The bioactive component was identified to be emodin. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of emodin was $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ against S. mutans OMZ 176. The bioactive component emodin weakly inhibited ${\beta}-lactamase$ activity with the inhibition ratio of 1.7, 4.3 and 7.6% at the concentration of 50, 100, and 200 uM, respectively. Emodin exhibited slight phototoxicity when analysed by the photohemolysis method.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.1766-1772
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• 2009

In this study, we are interested in comparing the protein profiles of acid-shocked and control cells of S. mutans isolated from Korean children with caries. The results of 2D gel electrophoresis showed that twelve proteins are up-regulated when the cells were grown under 20 mM lactic acid stress in the exponential phase. Up-proteins under acid stress were estimated a major key of the survival and proliferation of S. mutans in low pH environments. These proteins are estimated generally associated with three biochemical pathways: glycolysis, alternative acid production and branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.31-36
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• 2019

Streptococcus mutans is one of the important bacteria that forms dental biofilm and cause dental caries. Virulence genes in S. mutans can be classified into the genes involved in bacterial adhesion, extracellular polysaccharide formation, biofilm formation, sugar uptake and metabolism, acid tolerance, and regulation. The genes involved in bacterial adhesion are gbps (gbpA, gbpB, and gbpC) and spaP. The gbp genes encode glucan-binding protein (GBP) A, GBP B, and GBP C. The spaP gene encodes cell surface antigen, SpaP. The genes involved in extracellular polysaccharide formation are gtfs (gtfB, gtfC, and gtfD) and ftf, which encode glycosyltransferase (GTF) B, GTF C, and GTF D and fructosyltransferase, respectively. The genes involved in biofilm formation are smu630, relA, and comDE. The smu630 gene is important for biofilm formation. The relA and comDE genes contribute to quorumsensing and biofilm formation. The genes involved in sugar uptake and metabolism are eno, ldh, and relA. The eno gene encodes bacterial enolase, which catalyzes the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate. The ldh gene encodes lactic acid dehydrogenase. The relA gene contributes to the regulation of the glucose phosphotransferase system. The genes related to acid tolerance are atpD, aguD, brpA, and relA. The atpD gene encodes $F_1F_0$-ATPase, a proton pump that discharges $H^+$ from within the bacterium to the outside. The aguD gene encodes agmatine deiminase system and produces alkali to overcome acid stress. The genes involved in regulation are vicR, brpA, and relA.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.75-89
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• 1984

A total of 141 strains of Streptococcus mutans were isolated from dental plaques of 153 subjects. Eighty-two children with caries-experience, 18 caries-free children and their mothers were participated. All isolates were examined for their serotypes by immunodiffusion method with 7 reference sera and their antibiotic susceptibilities to 7 antibiotics by agar dilution method using 7 kinds of antibiotics, and were compared their results by caries experience (DMFT ratio) and by intrafamilial levels. 1. Isolation rate of Streptococcus mutans were greater in samples of carious teeth than those of sound teeth, and in mothers than in children. 2. Multiple serotypes of Streptococcus mutans were occasionally found in a single samples. 3. Of the total 141 isolates (83 isolates from children, and 58 from their mothers), type c isolates were most prevalent (63.8%). Type d,e and f were found, comprizing 14.9%, 10.6% and 6.4% respectively. Serotype g, a and untypable strain were also found but far lower frequencies (2.8-0.7%), and type b was detected. 4. These results suggest that there are no significant correlation among the distribution of serotypes, antibiotic susceptibilities, caries experience and intrafamilial relationships. 5. Most of isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol (100%), penicillin (95.7%), ampicillin (94.3%), and gentamicin (92.2%), but about one-third isolates were resistant to cephaloridine (27%), streptomycin (33.3%) and kanamycin (47.6%), resulting that 91 strains (64.5%) among 141 isolates were resistant to one or more drugs used. 6. Of the 91 resistant strains, 20 different resistant patterns were observed, and the most frequently encountered patterns were KM, SM and CE.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 1993

Seventeen strains were isolated from soil, cattle rumen, cereal sewage dregs, insect on agar plate containing insoluble glucan as a sole carbon source from immobilized Streptococcus mutans, which produced alpha-1,3 glucanase for lysis of dental plaque. Among these strains isolated from soil, SW-522 and SW-713 that had appeared to produce the high level of alpha-1,3 glucanase, degraded insoluble glucan from S. mutans 97.6% and 49.4%, respectively in 5 hours. The activity of crude alpha-1,3 glucanase from SW-522 was 1.3mg insoluble glucan/min.mg protein. This enzyme was entirely degraded insoluble glucan on glass tube which produced by S. mutans in TH medium with 5% sucrose.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2023

In oriental medicine, the fruit of Actinidia polygama has long been used to alleviate the symptoms of gout, arthritis, and inflammation. In this study, it was to designed to analyze the antibacterial activity of A. polygama ethanol extract (APEE) against Streptococcus mutans, one of the major strains for dental caries, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of the critical strains for periodontal disease. The antibacterial activity of APEE was analyzed by disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. In addition, it was also analyzed the inhibitory effect of APEE on bacterial growth and biofilm formation against both oral pathogens. APEE exhibited its antibacterial effect through the inhibited bacterial diffusion as well as low concentration of MIC and MBC. In addition, APEE significantly inhibited not only bacterial growth but also biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Consequently, APEE showed potent antibacterial activity against both S. mutans and P. gingivalis, which indicates that APEE might be used as a potential antibacterial material for the improvement of oral healthcare.