Abstract
Bioactive polyphenol components of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are known to have virulence attenuating effects against several cariogenic virulence properties responsible for dental caries pathogenesis. In particular, cranberry A-type proanthocyanidins and flavonols have demonstrated potent inhibitory effects against cariogenic virulence targets such as bacterial acidogenicity, aciduricity, glucan synthesis, and hydrophobicity. Cranberry phenols have the ability to disrupt these cariogenic virulence properties without being bactericidal, a key quality essential for retaining the benefits of the symbiotic resident oral microbiome and preventing the emergence of resistant microbes. This review discusses the cariostatic mechanisms of specific cranberry phytochemicals and their potential use as therapeutic agents against cariogenic bacteria in the prevention and control of dental caries.
Highlights
There has been an increasing global interest in the potential therapeutic uses of plant-derived natural products to prevent oral diseases
A number of cariostatic natural products have shown the potential to be useful for dental caries prevention [6]
As the different Gtfs acting in concert are a primary virulence property of S. mutans, targeting Gtf enzyme activity should significantly disrupt the development of dental caries [22]
Summary
There has been an increasing global interest in the potential therapeutic uses of plant-derived natural products to prevent oral diseases. The realisation of the key health benefits of having an oral microbiome that is in a symbiotic relationship with the host has resulted in virulence-targeted therapies being preferred over broad-spectrum antimicrobials This is especially vital for biofilm-mediated diseases like dental caries, where reversing the microbiome dysbiosis responsible for caries development is crucial for long-term disease control rather than eliminating the dental plaque biofilm [4]. Newer and more effective preventive measures that go beyond using fluoride dentifrices and conventional mechanical plaque removal are clearly needed to tackle this ubiquitous human disease In this regard, a number of cariostatic natural products have shown the potential to be useful for dental caries prevention [6]. Phytochemicals present in the cranberry fruit are promising, having been shown to exert biological effects against critical virulence properties of cariogenic bacteria, besides having other well-established benefits to human health
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