Abstract
Microbial dysbiosis in dental plaque contributes to the occurrence of dental caries, to which Streptococcus mutans is a major contributor. Lactobacillus casei can be used as probiotic therapy to treat caries by replacing S. mutans within the dental plaque. However, the effects of probiotic treatment are not always stable. Oxyresveratrol (ORV), a plant-derived polyphenol, displays opposite effects in that it inhibits cariogenic and promotes commensal bacteria. Thus, the objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of ORV on bacterial proportions in S. mutans-L. casei biofilm and to elucidate how ORV weakens the competitiveness of S. mutans. Quantitative real-time PCR confirms a decreased S. mutans-L. casei ratio in dual-species biofilm by action of ORV. The culture supernatant of L. casei after being incubated with ORV (ORVLC) is prepared to explore the joint action of ORV and L. casei. ORVLC displays the strongest anti-biofilm effect against S. mutans when compared with the effects of L. casei supernatant or ORV alone. As a result of this treatment, both exopolysaccharides and bacteria contents in the biofilm are greatly reduced. The biofilm is transformed from water-insoluble glucan-dominant to water-soluble glucan-dominant by ORVLC through the modulation of the glycometabolism-related genes of S. mutans. As for the interactions between ORV and L. casei, ORV promotes L. casei to produce acetic acid, which provides L. casei with a competitive advantage against S. mutans. Taken together, ORV may be very suitable as an adjuvant medicine for probiotic therapy in the control of dental caries. IMPORTANCE The homeostatic imbalance in dental plaque associated with a sharp increase in the number of cariogenic bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans is critical for the occurrence and development of caries. Probiotic therapy can restore ecological balance by replacing cariogenic pathogens with probiotics. The current study innovatively finds that oxyresveratrol, a natural polyphenol, can provide probiotic Lactobacillus casei with competitive dominance in its dual-species biofilm with S. mutans. The joint action of oxyresveratrol and L. casei strongly inhibits the biofilm formation of S. mutans. Additionally, oxyresveratrol promotes L. casei to produce acetic acid, which facilitates L. casei to compete with S. mutans. Through the effects of these two mechanisms, oxyresveratrol leads to a significantly decreased S. mutans-L. casei ratio in their dual-species biofilm. Thus, oxyresveratrol is speculated to be an ideal medicine for the prevention and treatment of caries by regulating oral flora balance.