Abstract
Objective: Caries are a major problem related to oral health among children. As it is an infectious disease, bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans, play an important role in caries. Flavonoids have been known to have antibacterial effects, and ethanol, even at very low concentrations, reportedly has antibacterial effects and is widely used as a basic ingredient in drugs.Aim: This study aims to analyze the antibacterial effects of different concentrations of propolis flavonoids and ethanol against S. mutans ATPase activity.Methods: S. mutans cells were exposed to 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1%, 0.075%, and 0.05% propolis flavonoids and then incubated in an anaerobic atmosphere for 48 h. The ATPase activity in these cells was then tested using a colorimetric assay.Results: No significant difference was found in the average ATPase activity of S. mutans after treatment with various concentrations of propolis flavonoids and ethanol.Conclusions: Thus, 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1%, 0.075%, and 0.05% propolis flavonoids and 10% ethanol had similar effects against S. mutans ATPase activity. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of flavonoids from Trigona spp. propolis.
Highlights
Dental caries are a significant oral health problem in children worldwide
No significant difference was found in the average ATPase activity of S. mutans after treatment with various concentrations of propolis flavonoids and ethanol
Further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of flavonoids from Trigona spp. propolis
Summary
Dental caries are a significant oral health problem in children worldwide. In 2007, the World Health Organization showed that the rate of dental caries in children in developing countries is about 50–60%. In Indonesia, the Ministry of Health revealed that 64.5% children aged 1–14 years have dental cavities [1]. Caries are a pathological condition characterized by demineralization of inorganic parts of teeth and influenced by several factors such as diet, host response, presence of microorganisms, and time. Given that it is an infectious condition, bacteria play an important role in the process of caries. Recent studies have suggested that streptococci may be significant in the development of this disease, and Streptococcus mutans, in particular, is considered a major causative agent of dental caries [2]
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