Streptococcus salivarius as an Important Factor in Dental Biofilm Homeostasis: Influence on Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Mixed Biofilm

Abstract

A disturbed balance within the dental biofilm can result in the dominance of cariogenic and periodontopathogenic species and disease development. Due to the failure of pharmacological treatment of biofilm infection, a preventive approach to promoting healthy oral microbiota is necessary. This study analyzed the influence of Streptococcus salivarius K12 on the development of a multispecies biofilm composed of Streptococcus mutans, S. oralis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Four different materials were used: hydroxyapatite, dentin and two dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membranes. Total bacteria, individual species and their proportions in the mixed biofilm were quantified. A qualitative analysis of the mixed biofilm was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results showed that in the presence of S. salivarius K 12 in the initial stage of biofilm development, the proportion of S. mutans was reduced, which resulted in the inhibition of microcolony development and the complex three-dimensional structure of the biofilm. In the mature biofilm, a significantly lower proportion of the periodontopathogenic species A. actinomycetemcomitans was found in the salivarius biofilm. Our results show that S. salivarius K 12 can inhibit the growth of pathogens in the dental biofilm and help maintain the physiological balance in the oral microbiome.

Exopolysaccharide β-(2,6)-levan-type fructans have a molecular-weight-dependent modulatory effect on Toll-like receptor signalling

“…11 They are also part of commensal bacteria. Among these are Gluconobacter albidus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Helicobactoer hepaticus, Bacillus subtilis and Bifidobacterium longum, 11,20 but also Streptococcus salivarius in the oral cavity, 31 and Lactobacillus reuteri. 32 The levans on these organisms can be found either in the cytoplasm or integrated into the cell wall as capsular exopolysaccharide.…”

Bacterial biofilms in the human body: prevalence and impacts on health and disease

“…In the oral context, it has been proposed that in healthy dental plaque, commensal bacteria serve as a barrier to colonization by oral pathogens ( Marsh, 2010 ). In support of this hypothesis, certain oral commensal species have been shown to antagonize the growth and/or adhesion of taxa associated with periodontitis, or to interfere with biofilm-formation by S. mutans ( Hoogmoed et al., 2008 ; Tamura et al., 2009 ; Begić et al., 2023 ). Colonization resistance has also been studied in the context of the distal gastrointestinal tract.…”

Effect of Chlorhexidine Digluconate on Oral Bacteria Adhesion to Surfaces of Orthodontic Appliance Alloys

“…After homogenisation, tenfold dilutions were made on the microtiter plates, and after planting on the substrate, the bacteria were incubated under anaerobic conditions or with a candle. After 24 h, S. oralis was counted, and after 72 h, A. actinomycetemcomitans, S. mutans, and V. parvula were counted [22][23][24].…”

“…The obtained images were saved in the TIFF format and further processed using ImageJ 1.47. A minimum of three images per term were analysed [24].…”