Constructing an anti-S. mutans and mineralizing membrane by combination self-assembled lysozyme with antimicrobial peptide

Abstract

Dental caries is a major public health problem. Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) are the main etiologic pathogens in dental caries and cause tooth hard tissue demineralization. To prevent dental caries, it is important to inhibit S. mutans and induce tooth remineralization. In this study, we combined a self-assembled lysozyme with polyphemusin I (PI) to form a multi-functional membrane for inhibiting S. mutans and inducing remineralization. The normal enamel coated with lysozyme nanofilm could adsorb significant more PI. After combining with PI, the coated enamel could kill more S. mutans and had the superior ability in inhibiting biofilm formation. In addition, the coated enamel combined with PI could prevent the loss of calcium and phosphate ions. In the pH cycling, the coated enamel regenerated more crystals than normal enamel did. The coated enamel combined with PI had a significant lower lesion depth (72.45 ± 4.07 μm) compared to normal enamel combined with PI (93.30 ± 7.64 μm) after S. mutans demineralization. Moreover, the lysozyme nanofilm and PI had good biocompatibility. Accordingly, the formed multi-functional membrane could be a promising strategy for preventing dental caries.