Conditions for Preparing Glycyrrhiza uralensis Extract for Inhibiting Biofilm Formation of Streptococcus mutans

Abstract

Licorice, which has an extensive history of use as an herbal medicine, has been suggested to have oral health benefits. However, to date, no systematic study has been conducted on the preparation method of licorice extracts for oral health. In this study, licorice extracts prepared using water and ethanol were investigated for its ability to inhibit the biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans. The licorice extract prepared with around 60% ethanol effectively inhibited the biofilm formation of S. mutans. Licorice extracted with 50% ethanol almost completely inhibited the biofilm formation at 1.5 g/L of licorice extract. This inhibitory activity was confirmed in a microplate assay and a flow cell system. Glycyrrhetic acid was extracted from licorice effectively with 60% ethanol concentration. The strong inhibitory activity of glycyrrhetic acid and the synergistic inhibition with glycyrrhizin on biofilm formation were suggested as major reasons for a concentration-specific extraction. These results suggest that licorice extract prepared using around 60% ethanol effectively inhibits the biofilm formation of S. mutans.