EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY OF LACTOBACILLUS PROBIOTIC ON STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS – AN IN VITRO STUDY

Abstract

The oral cavity consists of a highly diverse microbiome that plays significant role in maintaining oral and systemic health. Disruption in the microbial balance, known as dysbiosis, is a key factor in the development of dental caries. This study explores the concept of bacteriotherapy using probiotic strains of Lactobacillus to suppress the cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans. We assessed the antibacterial efficacy and determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of three commercially available probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus casei Shirota against S mutans MTCC-497. The results may help us in incorporating the probiotic-based strategies for oral health management and caries prevention.

Keywords

Dysbiosis, Lactobacillus, Bacteriotherapy, probiotics, caries prevention.