• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 1983

Various investigations have been carried out to elucidate the causative relationship between specific oral bacterial species and dental caries since it was first demonstrated that selected streptococoal species produced dental caries in germfree rats when fed a high-sucrose diet. Now, S. mutans is considered to play an important role in the development of dental caries in animals and humans, and only a limited number of species of bacteria other than S. mutans are occasionally found to be cariogenic in experimental animals. In this regard, association of the number of S. mutans in approximal plaque with caries experience (DMFT) was studied from 137 Korean school children($10{\sim}11$ year old). Biotypes of the collected strains of S. mutans were determined, and their relationship with caries status was also examined. The following results were emerged from the study. 1. S. mutans was detected in the plaques of all children. 2. Statistically significant positive correlation(r=0.445, p<0.001) was found between the caries experience(DMFT) and the number of S. mutans in approximal plaques. 3. The number of S. mutans were significantly higher(p<0.001) in plaques removed from carious surface than from sound surface. 4. The most frequent biotype was biotype I(78.8%), followed by IV(33.1%) and V(09.5%). Biotype II was isolated in the plaque of two children(1.7%) only. 5. There was no apparent relation of specific biotypes to carious status.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2003

S. mutans is the most important causative bacteria of dental caries among the oral bacteria. S. salivarius is a normal inhabitant in the human oral cavity. Nine strains of S. salivarius in this study were isolated from the oral cavities of children and identified, and their effect on S. mutans and S. oralis was studied. 1. The mean weight of produced artificial plaque on the wires in the beaker was 204.9 mg in the culture of S. mutans only, whereas being reduced to 1.9 mg through 20.6mg in the combined culture of S. mutans and each S. salivarius isolate (p<0.05). The viable cell didn't show the difference between them after culturing. 2. When S. mutans was cultured in the media containing culture supernatant of each S. salivarius isolate in M17 broth, the mean weight of produced artificial plaque was 117.1 mg on the wires, whereas being 47.7 mg in the media containing culture supernatant of each S. salivarius isolate in M17 broth containing 5% sucrose. 3. The polymer produced by S. salivarius isolates was on the thin layer chromatography. 4. Inulin and levan didn't inhibit the formation of artificial plaque by S. mutans in the beaker test. These results suggested that fructan-producing S. salivarius isolates inhibited the formation of artificial plaque by S. mutans.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.382-388
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• 2018

In this study, the SELEX method was used to screen for and select aptamers with high selectivity and affinity for Streptococcus mutans, which is the causative agent of dental caries. Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotides of DNA or RNA with high selectivity and affinity for target molecules because of their specific three-dimensional structures that are used to collect biometric information. When compared to antibodies in vitro, aptamers are more advantageous because of their ease of use in the screening process, low cost, chemical stability, and lack of restrictions on the target molecules. We sorted DNA aptamers, which contain 44 bp or 38 bp primer sequences in 5' and 3', 39 bp random sequences in the middle.We then analyzed the character and affinity to S. mutans. Aptamers of specific oligonucleotides that combine with S. mutans were selected and these results are selectively fused to S. mutans. The results confirmed that DNA aptamers can be used for rapid diagnosis and treatment of dental caries caused by bacteria of the oral cavity, namely S. mutans.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2015

Streptococcus mutans triggers dental caries establishment by two major factors. One is synthesis of organic acids which demineralize dental enamel and the other is synthesis of glucans which mediate the attachment of bacteria to the tooth surface. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of the ethanol extracts of Aconitum koreanum (A. koreanum ) on the growth and acid production of S. mutans. Ethanol extracts of the A. koreanum showed concentration dependent inhibitory activity against the growth and acid production of S. mutans, and produced significant inhibition at the concentration of 0.016 mg/ml compared to the control groups (p<0.05). The extracts inhibited S. mutans adherence to hydroxyapatite treated with saliva, and cell adherence was repressed by 50%, 54% at the concentration of 0.063, 0.125 mg/ml. On the study of activation of glucosyltransferase which synthesizes water insoluble glucan form sucrose, the ethanol extract of A. koreanum showed remarkable inhibition over the concentration of 0.016, 0.031, 0.063 and 0.125 mg/ml (p<0.05). Especially on the concentration of 0.063, 0.125 mg/ml, the extracts suppressed the glucan synthesis by 100%. We analyzed the component of the extracts of A. koreanum. The results showed that the extract of A. koreanum had strong phenolic compound, glycosides and organic acids. These results suggest that A. koreanum may inhibit the caries-inducing properties of S. mutans, and which may be related with strong phenolic compound, glycosides and organic acids.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.23-29
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• 2012

Objective : Sanguisorbae Radix(SO). that belong to Rosaceae is widely distributed in Asia including Korea, Japan and China. It has been used as traditional medicine from old times as a treatment for anti-inflammatory drugs. This study was designed to investigate the effects of n-BuOH fractions of SO on anti-oxidant effect and anti-microbial effect on $Streptococcus$ $mutans$ ($S.$ $mutans$). Methods : The anti-microbial effect of $n$-BuOH fractions of SO. was assessed by the paper disk diffusion method and anti-oxidant effect was assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging effect, Superoxide anion radical scavenging effect and SOD like ability. Results : DPPH radical scavenging of the $n$-BuOH fraction from SO in 50 ug/mL was shown to be Fr-2 (89.9%), Fr-3 (88.7%), Fr-4 (76.3%), Fr-1 (59.4%), Fr-5 (56.2%). Superoxside anion radical scavenging activity of the n-BuOH fraction from SO. in 50 ug/mL for Fr-3 was shown to be 78%. SOD-like activity of n-BuOH fraction from the SO in 1000 ug/mL for Fr-3 were shown to be 76.1% respectively. The $n$-BuOH fraction from the SO had high anti-microbial effect on $S.$ $mutans$. Conclusion : As a result, the $n$-BuOH fraction from SO. has good anti-microbial and anti-oxidant effects in a concentration-dependent manner.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.430-435
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• 2013

Multidrug resistance, especially multidrug efflux mechanisms that extrude structurally unrelated cytotoxic compounds from the cell by multidrug transporters, is a serious problem and one of the main reasons for the failure of therapeutic treatment of infections by pathogenic microorganisms as well as of cancer cells. Streptococcus mutans is considered one of the primary causative agents of dental caries and periodontal disease, which comprise the most common oral diseases. A fragment of chromosomal DNA from S. mutans KCTC3065 was cloned using Escherichia coli KAM32 as host cells lacking major multidrug efflux pumps. Although E. coli KAM32 cells were very sensitive to many antimicrobial agents, the transformed cells harboring a recombinant plasmid became resistant to several structurally unrelated antimicrobial agents such as tetracycline, kanamycin, rhodamin 6G, ampicillin, acriflavine, ethidium bromide, and tetraphenylphosphonium chloride. This suggested that the cloned DNA fragment carries a gene encoding a multidrug efflux pump. Among 49 of the multidrug-resistant transformants, we report the functional gene cloning and characterization of the function of one multidrug efflux pump, namely MdeA from S. mutans, which was expressed in E. coli KAM32. Judging from the structural and biochemical properties, we concluded that MdeA is the first cloned and characterized multidrug efflux pump using the proton motive force as the energy for efflux drugs.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.334-340
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• 2010

It is well known that smoking as well as drinking is a factor of stomatopathy, however there are few investigations about comparison of oral flora between smokers and non-smokers. In this study, we isolated the oral flora of 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers and cultured them on blood agar plates. The isolated pathogenic microorganisms were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and resistance using the Kirby-Bauer antibiotic testing method. Each colony was stained using the Gram staining method and was identified by an automatic identifier, known as the VITEK system. We isolated 41 colonies from smokers' oral cavity, and they were sorted as 63% of Gram-positive cocci, 29% of Gram-negative cocci, 3% of Gram-positive bacilli, and 5% of Gram-negative bacilli by gram staining, whereas 38 colonies were isolated from non-smoters' oral cavity, and their proportions were 55% of Gram-positive cocci, 26% of Gram-negative cocci, 3% of Gram-positive bacilli, and 16% of Gram-negative bacilli. The VITEK system revealed specific distribution of bacteria species that Streptococcus mutans (6/41), Gemella morillorum (6/41), Streptococcus oralis (2/41), Streptococcus pneumoniae (1/41), Staphylococcus aureus (3/41), Streptococcus anginosus (1/41), Streptococcus intermedius (1/41), Streptococcus uberis (1/41), and Streptococcus sanguinis (1/41) in smokers oral cavity whereas Streptococcus sanguinis (8/38), Staphylococcus aureus (1/38), Staphylococcus auricularis (1/38), Streptococcus uberis (1/38), Streptococcus intermedius (1/38), Streptococcus mutans (1/38), and Streptococcus oralis (1/38) in those of non-smokers'. Three cases of Staphylococcus aureus from smokers produced Beta-lactamase and were identified methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However one case of Staphylococcus aureus from non-smoker did not produce Beta-lactamase and was sensitive to methicillin. In conclusion, the distribution of oral flora was different between smokers' and non-smokers' oral cavity, especially Gemella morillorum and MRSA were predominantly found in smoker's oral cavity. These results are useful in the treatment and prevention of patients with stomatopathy caused by smoking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1148-1151
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• 1998

We investigated the inhibition effects of teeth decalcification and glucosyltransferase(GTase) activity on the Juniperus rigida S. et Z. Teeth decalcifications by Streptococcus mutans were respectively inhibited to 70.13, 74.93% on methanol and n hexane fractions. In the inhibition test of GTase activities by solvent fractions of J. rigida, they were respectively inhibited to 86.6, 89.5% to a similar degree. And in the result to identify GTase produced by S. mutans with SDS PAGE, the band near 65KD estimated as GTase did not show in the lanes of methanol, n hexane and chloroform fractions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.635-640
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• 2011

Betulae Cortex of Betula platyphylla Suk. var. japonica Hara (Betulaceae) has long been used for treatment of various inflammation, fever and cough in Eastern Asia. In order to investigate antibacterial activity of the Betulae Cortex against Streptococcus mutans or Porphyromonas gingivalis, MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) and pH were checked, and for anti-inflammation activity, the experiments about trypsin-induced paw edema, vascular permeability and myeloperoxidase activity in rat's hind-paw tissue, were carried out with various extracts of Betulae Cortex (BCXs) respectively. The BCXs showed significant antibacterial activity, and at the dose of over 50 mg/kg, BCX showed significant inhibition on the paw edema, vascular permeability and myeloperoxidase activity. These results indicate that BCXs have antibacterial activity against oral cariogenic bacteria and anti-inflammatory effect.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the antimicrobial persistence of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and silver fluoride (AgF) on Streptococcus mutans. Materials and Methods: An in vitro experiment was conducted to observe changes in the diameter of the inhibition zone of various materials, including AgF (Riva Star Aqua^TM step 1; SDI), potassium iodine (Riva star aqua^TM step 2; SDI), Fluor protector^® (FP, Ivoclar Vivadent), SDF (Riva star^TM step 1; SDI), Ampicillin (Sigma-Aldrich), Amphotericin B (Nexstar) and negative control on S. mutans. Result: SDF, AgF and FP exhibited significant antimicrobial persistence over the 4 weeks period (P<0.05). At day 28, the diameter of inhibition zone was larger in SDF than in AgF. Conclusion: SDF and AgF have significant antibacterial durability against bacteria commonly associated with dental caries, with the antimicrobial effect lasting for at least 4 weeks. Further clinical studies are needed to validate these findings in vivo.