Comparison of the effect of regular and probiotic cake (Bacillus coagulans) on salivary pH and Streptococcus mutans count

Abstract

Background. Dental caries is considered the most common infectious disease in humans worldwide. Cariogenesis is the outcome of a complex interaction between the host's oral flora and diet. The consumption of snacks such as cake, which have the potential to promote dental caries, has increased.Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of including probiotic bacteria (Bacillus coagulans -B. coagulans) in consumed snack cake on the Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) count and salivary pH.Material and methods. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, cross-sectional cohort study on 40 healthy volunteers. The subjects were divided into 2 groups. In the 1 st group, the subjects consumed probiotic cake as breakfast for 1 week and then, following a 4-week wash-out period, consumed regular cake as breakfast for 1 week. In the other group, the administration of probiotic and regular cake was reversed. For both groups, samples of at least 5 mL of non-stimulated saliva were collected using the spitting technique before and after the 1 st and the 6 th week. A colony counter was used to determine the number of S. mutans colonies. Salivary pH was measured before eating (8-9 a.m.). Results.We detected no statistically significant difference in the S. mutans count before and after the consumption of probiotic cake, but noted a statistically significant difference in the count before and after the consumption of regular cake. We did not detect a significant difference in salivary pH with respect to the consumption of probiotic and regular cake, although the consumption of both foods caused a drop in salivary pH.Conclusions. The addition of probiotic bacteria to sweet snack cake caused a minimal increase in the salivary count of S. mutans, a bacterial species with a definite role in cariogenesis, but did not impact salivary pH. Since probiotic cake has a slight impact on the S. mutans count, it is preferred over regular cake as a snack food. Cite asKoopaie M, Fatahzadeh M, Jahangir S, Bakhtiari R. Comparison of the effect of regular and probiotic cake (Bacillus coagulans) on salivary pH and Streptococcus mutans count.

Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics and Dental Caries. New Perspectives, Suggestions, and Patient Coaching Approach for a Cavity-Free Mouth

“…This will make them more acceptable as a new method. Furthermore, probiotics can now be contained in formulations, such as ice-creams and cakes [40,44,55], which contain high proportions of sugars, thereby promoting cariogenesis [171], and make those easily consumed, happy diet delicacies to work in favor of the good oral condition and not against it. The choice to entirely refrain from such products is not feasible, especially for children, who frequently consume a sugar-enriched diet [188].…”

“…However, many other means have been proposed to serve as probiotic administration agents, especially for those allergic to dairy components. Among those means stand capsules or liquid form [43], specially prepared straws or tablets [27,35,41], drops [29], lozenges [54], and even sweetened cakes [55] and ice creams [44].…”

“…It is worth mentioning that in 2019, a highly promising study was conducted [55]. This trial investigated the effect of a Bacillus coagulans-abundant cake on S. mutans levels and salivary pH.…”

“…In this context, milk would be the probiotic carrier of choice, given the fact that they daily consume milk at breakfast time. Teenagers and children also, considering that they may not manage to refrain from a high-sugar diet, should be suggested to prefer probiotic sweetened foods instead of regular ones, as the former are considered to confer health benefits on the consumers [40,44,55].…”

Modulation of Oral Biofilm and Immune Response Associated to Mucosa with Probiotic Bacteria as a Potential Approach in the Prevention of Dental Caries: A Systematic Review

“…Nowadays the most commonly used prophylactic chemical agents inhibit bacterial growth and biofilm formation. However, these chemical agents also eliminate the oral microbiota, altering its balance and potentially affecting oral health [4,14]. Although several medicines can inhibit the pathogenic microbiota, none has been able to successfully prevent the proliferation of residual strains, which is why the selective inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms through the use of probiotic strains has been studied recently [4].…”