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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1427803

Sulforaphane as a Promising Anti-caries Agents: Inhibitory Effects on Streptococcus mutans and Caries Control in a Rat Model

Provisionally accepted
Meijiao Yu Meijiao Yu Yu Chen Yu Chen Sishi Dong Sishi Dong Zhongxin Chen Zhongxin Chen Xuelian Jiang Xuelian Jiang Yufei Wang Yufei Wang *Linglin Zhang Linglin Zhang *
  • West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Dental caries has been one of the most prevalent diseases globally over the last few decades, threatening human oral and general health. The most critical aspect in caries control is to inhibit the dominant cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). Sulforaphane (SFN), a compound found in a wide range of cruciferous plants, has demonstrated bacteriostatic activities against various pathogenic bacteria. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of SFN on S. mutans though both in vitro and in vivo experiment. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. mutans was determined at 256 μg/mL. The growth of S. mutans and the biofilm formation were inhibited by SFN in a dose-dependent manner through suppressing the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and acid production, as well as decreasing the acid tolerance. Meanwhile, SFN significantly weakened the cariogenic properties of S. mutans at sub-inhibitory concentrations, which were further illustrated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Moreover, SFN were found to inhibit quorum sensing (QS) by downregulate comCDE system in S. mutans. Further investigation using a rat caries model displayed a prominent caries control in the SFN-treated group with no observed toxicity. The notable results demonstrated in this study highlight the potential of SFN as a natural substitute for current anti-caries agents, while also providing valuable insights into the potential applications of SFN in caries control.

    Keywords: Dental Caries, Sulforaphane, Isothiocyanates, Streptococcus mutans, Bacteriostatic therapy, Natural Products

    Received: 04 May 2024; Accepted: 10 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yu, Chen, Dong, Chen, Jiang, Wang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yufei Wang, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
    Linglin Zhang, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

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