Abstract

Plant-derived molecules are excellent alternatives to antibiotics as anti-infective agents owing to their minimal cytotoxicity. Herein, the anti-infective property of the hydroxyflavone baicalin, was investigated against biofilms of the key dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Baicalin inhibited sucrose-dependent biofilm formation at a concentration of 500 µg ml⁻¹ without affecting bacterial growth. It significantly inhibited acid production for an extended period of 8 h. Microscopic analysis revealed a 6-fold reduction in the number of adhered cells with baicalin treatment. Transcriptomic analysis of the mid-log phase and biofilm cells showed marked downregulation of the virulence genes required for biofilm formation and acid production. This study sheds significant new light on the potential for baicalin to be developed into an anti-caries agent.

摘要

由于其最小的细胞毒性，植物来源的分子是作为抗感染剂的抗生素的极佳替代品。在此，研究了羟基黄酮黄ical苷对关键龋齿病原体变形链球菌的生物膜的抗感染性能。黄ical苷以500 µg ml ^-1的浓度抑制蔗糖依赖性生物膜的形成而不会影响细菌的生长。它在8小时的延长时间内显着抑制了酸的产生。显微镜分析显示，用黄ical苷处理后，粘附细胞的数量减少了6倍。对数中期和生物膜细胞的转录组学分析表明，生物膜形成和产酸所需的毒力基因显着下调。这项研究为黄ical素发展成为抗龋药的潜力提供了重要的新启示。