Biofilm formation is considered as a crucial factor in various oral diseases, such as dental caries. The quorum sensing (QS) signaling system was proved to have a crucial role in the microbial dental plaque biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). LuxS was critical to regulating the QS system and survival of the bacterium, and, therefore, compounds which target LuxS may be a potential therapy for dental caries. The binding activities of 37,170 natural compounds to LuxS were virtually screened in this study. Baicalein and paeonol were chosen for further research of the binding mode and ΔG values with LuxS. Both baicalein and paeonol inhibited the biofilm formation without influence on the growth of S. mutans. Baicalein also distinctly reduced the production of both rhamnolipids and acids. The results provide us with a new approach to combat dental caries instead of the traditional use of antibacterial chemicals.

生物膜的形成被认为是各种口腔疾病（如龋齿）的关键因素。群体感应 (QS) 信号系统被证明在变形链球菌( S. mutans )的微生物牙菌斑生物膜形成中起关键作用。LuxS 对于调节 QS 系统和细菌的存活至关重要，因此，针对 LuxS 的化合物可能是治疗龋齿的潜在疗法。本研究实际上筛选了 37,170 种天然化合物与 LuxS 的结合活性。黄芩素和丹皮酚被选择用于进一步研究与 LuxS 的结合模式和 ΔG 值。黄芩素和丹皮酚均抑制生物膜形成，但不影响变形链球菌的生长. 黄芩素还明显减少了鼠李糖脂和酸的产生。结果为我们提供了一种新的方法来对抗龋齿，而不是传统的抗菌化学品的使用。