In Vitro Antibacterial Effectiveness of a Naturopathic Oral Care Product on Oral Pathogens.

PURPOSE: Currently, the prevention of periodontal diseases focuses on mechanical removal of pathogenic biofilms combined with oral antiseptics as supportive chemical antibacterial control. Due to the risk of resistance development and side effects of existing antiseptics, the interest in alternative medicine with naturopathic treatment modalities is growing in dentistry. In the present study, the antibacterial effect of the naturopathic oral care product Repha OS and some of its derivatives, based on medicinal plant extracts and essential oils, with a specific focus on added sweeteners, was investigated on periodontal pathogenic and halitosis-associated bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antibacterial efficacy was investigated by agar dilution assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for the bacterial species Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Solobacterium moorei was determined. RESULTS: A concentration-dependent antibacterial effect on oral bacterial species by Repha OS and its derivatives was demonstrated. For the original product, the maximum MIC was 10% of the calculated test solution concentration in agar for all examined bacterial species. The removal of essential oils reduced the antibacterial efficacy, whereas the displacement or replacement of sweeteners had almost no effect. CONCLUSION: In addition to other individual effects of the ingredients, the results of this study show that an antibacterial effect of the naturopathic oral care product on the tested oral bacterial species was achieved in vitro. In vivo, the combination of this antibacterial effect with other properties of the various ingredients may be interesting for a holistic approach in preventive dentistry.

Biofilm formation on zirconia and titanium over time-An in vivo model study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate volume, vitality and diversity of biofilms on the abutment materials zirconia and titanium as a function of time using an in vivo model for the biofilm formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The development of biofilms on zirconia and titanium grade 4 test specimens in the human oral cavity over time was analysed. After pretreatment, a total of 96 titanium and 96 zirconia discs were fixed on 12 composite splints, which were worn by 12 volunteers. After 6 hr, 24 hr, 3 days and 5 days, biofilms on 48 specimens of each material were analysed with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The microbiota composition on the other 48 test specimens was examined using full-length 16S sequence analysis. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS and R, and level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis of the biofilms revealed significant changes in volume over time on zirconia and titanium. The material did not significantly influence the volume or live/dead ratio at the individual time points. The composition of the microbiome was influenced by the age of the biofilm, but not by the material of the test specimen. The most frequently found bacteria were Streptococcus spp., followed by Neisseria spp., Rothia spp., Haemophilus spp., Gemella spp. and Abiotrophia spp. CONCLUSIONS: On both materials, the quantity and diversity of the microbiome increased over time. Apart from a slight difference in Veillonella abundance at one time point, there were no significant differences between zirconia and titanium.

The carolactam strategy is ineffective: synthesis and biological evaluation of carolactam.

Carolacton, a secondary metabolite isolated from the extracts of Sorangium cellulosum, causes membrane damage and cell death in biofilms of the caries- and endocarditis-associated bacterium Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is known that macrolactam derivatives can show improved pharmacological properties compared to the corresponding macrolactons (lactam strategy). Therefore, we here report the total synthesis and biological activity of the lactam derivative of carolacton ("carolactam"). Carolactam was inactive against planktonic cultures of S. pneumoniae and caused damage of S. mutans biofilms at high concentrations only (above 10 µM). Preliminary modeling studies indicate substantial conformational differences between carolacton and carolactam.