Susceptibility of anaerobic microorganisms to hypothiocyanite produced by lactoperoxidase.

The susceptibility of Capnocytophaga ochracea, Eikenella corrodens, Eubacterium yurii, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, Prevotella intermedia, Selenomonas sputigena, Wolinella recta to hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) produced by the lactoperoxidase system was tested. Results showed a decrease of bacterial survival rate after OSCN- exposure, with an intra- and inter-species variability from 0 to 95% for C. ochracea, 34-100% for E. corrodens, 0-83% for E. yurii, 1-15% for F. nucleatum, 8-61% for P. micros, 0-100% for P. intermedia, 0-44% for S. sputigena and 0-8% for W. recta. The survival rate did not correlate with the NADH/OSCN- oxidoreductase activity present in the lysed bacteria (r = -0.3248; N = 15; NS).