Antimicrobial Property of Mango Twigs Extract against Dental Caries-causing Microorganisms (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus) Jervene Venturina, Santiago Bataller Jr. , Raymark Camato Dental caries is an ecological disease in which the diet, the host and the microbial flora interact over a period of time in such a way as to encourage demineralisation of the tooth enamel which results to caries formation.
This disease can affect both the enamel (the outer coating of the tooth) and the dentin (the inner layer of the tooth).This is also a disease of all ages, affecting not only children but also for adults since recession of the gums are prevalent in the old ages; this occurrence exposes the tooth roots to plaque causing greater damage (Tonn, 2009) Dental caries will not occur if the oral cavity is free of bacteria. These bacteria are organised into a material known as dental plaque which is yellowish coloured film on the surface of the teeth. Of the many types of bacteria in the mouth, the most caries active appear to be Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus spp. Veillonella spp.
and Actinomyces spp. These bacteria can be transferred from mother to child and are present at varying levels in all human mouths. A variety of carbohydrates provide substrates for these organisms to grow on and the waste products of their metabolism -acids - initiate the tooth decay process by dissolving tooth enamel. There are three major hypotheses for the etiology of dental caries: the specific plaque hypothesis, the nonspecific plaque hypothesis, and the ecological plaque hypothesis.The specific plaque hypothesis has proposed that only a few specific species, such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, are actively involved in the disease.
On the other hand, the nonspecific plaque hypothesis maintains that caries is the outcome of the overall activity of the total plaque microflora, which is comprised of many bacterial species. The ecological plaque hypothesis suggests that caries is a result of a shift in the balance of the resident microflora driven by changes in local environmental conditions. Aas et. al, 2008).
In this study we will just focus on the first hypothesis. Streptococcus mutans is a gram positive, nonmotile, facultative anaerobe. The bacteria grows optimally in the range of 18-40 degrees Celsius. S. mutans is commonly found in the oral cavity of humans and is the most cariogenic bacteria for tooth enamel. S.
mutans is acidogenic meaning that it produces acid, acidoduric, able to live in acidic environments, and produces a sticky polysaccharide called dextran. Because of these properties, S. utans is able to promote the sticking of bacteria to tooth enamel, the sticking of bacteria to other bacteria, growth of other acidoduric bacteria, and acid dissolution of tooth enamel. Streptococcus mutans was first described by JK Clark in 1924 after he isolated it from a carious lesion but it wasn't until the 1960s that real interest in this microbe was generated when researchers began studying dental caries in earnest. Carbohydrate metabolism is a key survival strategy for S.
mutans, and current knowledge about sugar metabolism of this organism combined with genome data suggests that S. utans is capable of metabolizing a wider variety of carbohydrates than any other Gram-positive organism. Genes for transport and metabolism of glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, mannose, cellobiose,glucosides, maltose/maltodextrin, raffinose, ribulose, melibiose starch, isomaltosaccharides, and possibly sorbose are found in the genome. In addition to sugars, S.
mutans are able to convert several sugar-alcohols to glycolytic intermediates, and the genes for metabolism. This finding, in conjunction with the presence of a phosphotransferase system (PTS) transporter for pentose, suggests that S. utans is able to synthesize and use certain pentoses. The fermentation of carbohydrates by S.
mutans is the principal source of energy production for the organism. A complete glycolytic pathway was found in leading to the production of pyruvate that is then reduced to various fermentation products (lactic acid, formate, ethanol, and acetate). These metabolic processes are important for oxidation of NADH, as well as synthesis of an additional ATP due to conversion of pyruvate to acetate. The enzymes responsible for pyruvate metabolism found in S. utans include pyruvate dehydrogenase, pyruvate formate-lyase, phosphotransacetylase, acetate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase. Streptococcus mutans is considered to be one of the most important pathogens in the development of dental caries in humans (Hamada and Slade, 1980; Loesche, 1986).
From sucrose, the organism synthesizes adhesive extracellular glucans that mediate the firm attachment of cells to the tooth surface. S. mutans produces three glucosyltransferases (GTFs), GTFB, GTFC, and GTFD (Colby and Russell, 1997), whose cooperative action is essential for cellular adhesion to the ooth surface. Adhesive glucans mediate attachment of bacteria to the tooth surface as well as to other bacteria; thus, they also have an effect on the physiological status of plaque biofilm, and contribute to the cariogenicity of S. mutans.
From the genus Streptococcus, Streptococcus sobrinus is an anaerobic, spherical shaped, Gram positive bacteria. They grow in pairs or chains and are nonmotile, nonsporeforming. (1) Bacteria from this genus are usually pathogenic to humans and the S. sobrinus in particular lives in the tooth cavities of humans.
Streptococcuswas first discovered and isolated by the French biologist Louis Pasteur in 1887 when a few other human pathogens were discovered at the same time and treated to better the health of the general public. First efforts in attempts for sterilizing this genus of pathogens happened 2 years later in 1889. Similar to other Streptococcus, S. sobrinus is a spherical, anaerobic, Gram positive bacteria. The optima growth for S.
sobrinus is 37°C and strives in low pH environments (6. 3) The human mouth create an ideal habitat for S. obrinus because it supplies the organism with an acidic environment with plenty of sources of food in the form of food sugars (primarily consists glucose/sucrose). S. sobrinus is classified as a lactic acid bacteria.
In addition to living in acidic environments, this organism also produces its own lactic acid as a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism of glucose. This byproduct of lactic acid plays an important role in the dental caries problems (See Pathology for more details) as it’s one of the main reasons why this organism is considered a human pathogen.It is also the most acidogenic bacteria. In our mouth. Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, were implicated as etiologic agents of dental caries when elevated proportions of these organisms were detected in dental plaque from caries-active subjects.
S. mutans and S. sobrinus, which can growand continue to carry out glycolysis at low pH, are thought to gain a competitive advantage over other plaque bacteria during the periods of sustained acidification that are conducive to caries development. Acid tolerance by S.
utans has been studied in some detail, and it is established that this organism possesses an inherent acid resistance that distinguishes it from organisms not commonly associated with dental caries. S. mutans can grow and carry out glycolysis at pH values below 5. 0 and can drive the pH to values well below 4. 0. The ability of oral streptococci to efficiently transport and metabolize a wide variety of sugars, especially at low pH, is another characteristic that allows these bacteria to grow and persist in the mouth and is directly linked to their ability to elicit dental caries.
S. mutans and S. sobrinus metabolize sucrose to glucose and fructose. Fructose is utilized by both species as a primary energy source. There are a number of different treatments for cavities depending on the extent of tooth decay.
If decay is not extensive, the decayed portion of the tooth is removed by drilling and replaced with a filling made of silver alloy, gold, porcelain, or a composite resin. Materials used in fillings are considered safe.Concerns have been raised over the safety of mercury-based, silver amalgams in particular, but the American Dental Association (ADA), FDA, and other public health agencies continue to support the safety of this restorative material. Allergies to silver amalgam are rare as are allergies to other restorative materials. If the tooth decay is extensive and there is limited tooth structure remaining, crowns will be used.
If a crown is needed, the decayed or weakened area of the tooth is removed and repaired and a crown is fitted over the remainder of the tooth. Crowns are made from gold, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal.If the decay causes the nerve or pulp of the tooth to die, a root canal will be performed. During a root canal, the center of the tooth (including the nerve, blood vessel, and tissue) is removed along with the decayed portions of the tooth.
The roots are then filled with a sealing material. If necessary, a crown can be placed over the filled tooth. Several new cavity treatments are under development. One experimental technique uses fluorescent light to detect the development of cavities long before they can be detected by traditional means, such as x-rays or a dental exam.In many cases, if cavities can be detected early, the tooth decay process can be stopped or reversed. Treatment is expensive so it is better to find cheaper methods of prevention so that the disease will not occur in the first place.
One method from long ago is chewing sticks. Chewing sticks have been widely used in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Africa since ancient times. The chewing stick can be a good alternative to the toothbrush as a means of preventing oral and dental disease. It is suitable for cleaning the teeth, costs little, possesses various medicinal properties, and is easily vailable in the rural areas of the developing countries.
It is also an oral hygiene tool that requires no expertise or special resources for its production. Mango or Mangifera indica twigs are also used in this tradition and it seems to be effective inpreventing dental caries. The Mangifera indica(mango) is one of the choicest fruit crops of tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially in Asia. Its popularity and importance can easily be realized by the fact that it is often referred as ‘King of fruits’ in the tropical world (Singh, 1996).The origin of Mangifera indica is in northeast India, north western Myanmar and Bangladesh than later spread to the rest of Asia by themselves and with the help of humans.
Mangifera indica nowadays can be found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Laos, southern China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon and Caroline Islands. Mangifera indica contains tannins, bitter gum, and resins.Tannins and resins supposedly have an astringent effect on the mucous membrane, and they form a layer over enamel, thus providing protection against dental caries. In our review of the literature we could not find any other study that has examined the benefits of the extract of mango chewing sticks. All parts of the Mangifera indica (mango) plant from the seeds and flowers to the leaves and gum are used in traditional South Asian medicine, but the fruits are most important. In India, the Mangifera indica is used traditionally for its vermifuge activity.
And other uses in India, fruit sap have been used to treat the pain of bee and scorpion stings (Ian ; Bally, 2006). In Samoa, a bark infusion has been a traditional remedy for mouth infections in children (pala gutu), and in Tonga, infusions of leaves of Mangifera indica, the orange (Citrus sinensis), and other species are used to make a potion to treat relapse sickness (kita). In Togo the stem bark is used as an antidiarrhoeal and antimicrobial, the leaves are reported to have anticancer activity. In South Asian folk medicine, rheumatism and diphtheria is treated using the
