The influence of biosurfactants released by S. mitis BMS on the adhesion of pioneer strains and cariogenic bacteria.

The influence of Streptococcus mitis BMS biosurfactants on the adhesion of eight pioneer and four cariogenic oral bacterial strains was, for a first screening, examined in a microtiter plate assay. The adhesion to pellicle-coated wells of three cariogenic strains was inhibited >70% by the biosurfactants, while only one pioneer strain showed >70% reduction. The reduction for the other strains did not exceed 50%. Subsequently, adhesion of Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 and Streptococcus sobrinus HG 1025, both cariogenic strains, and Actinomyces naeslundii T14V-J1 and Streptococcus oralis J22, two pioneer strains, to biosurfactants-coated enamel with and without a salivary pellicle was studied in a parallel plate flow chamber. A biosurfactants coating to enamel with or without a pellicle caused a reduction in the number of adhering cariogenic organisms, although no such reduction was observed for the pioneer strains. Consequently, it is concluded that S. mitis BMS biosurfactants may play a protective role against adhesion of cariogenic bacteria.