Research Article
Identification of new Lactobacillus species that suppress tooth caries induced by salivary trace elements
- By Emaduldeen Hatem Abed, Mohammed Hashim Al-Yasiri, Afrah Abid Maktoof - 18 Jul 2024
- Journal of Biomedicine and Biosensors, Volume: 4, Issue: 3, Pages: 1 - 10
- https://doi.org/10.58613/jbb431
- Received: June 8, 2024; Accepted: June 30, 2024; Published: July 18, 2024
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to look into the relationship between Lactobacillus, which causes tooth decay, and the concentration of trace elements in saliva. A total of 100 samples were taken from patients with caries, whereas 11 samples were gathered from persons without caries as a control group. Only 26 Lactobacillus isolates were found in caries patients, including L. fermentum, L. casei, and a low proportion of L. plantarum. In the control group, the most common Lactobacillus isolates were L. plantarum, L. terrae, L. letivazi, and L. helveticus.Trace element concentrations varied across the study and control groups. The concentrations of Na, K, Zn and Cu were greater in the control group than in the study group, at significant variations (p-values = 0.02, 0.004, 0.021, and 0.002, respectively). However, there were no significant variations in (Pb) levels between the two groups. Increased amounts of Na, K, Ca, and Zn in cavity-free saliva may promote the growth of several Lactobacillus species that can protect against dental caries. Lower quantities of these trace elements in saliva, on the other hand, may promote the growth of other Lactobacillus strains linked to tooth decay.
Keywords: Dental caries, Lactobacillus spp., Trace elements