Exploring the anti-caries properties of baicalin against Streptococcus mutans: an in vitro study

Abstract

Plant-derived molecules are excellent alternatives to antibiotics as anti-infective agents owing to their minimal cytotoxicity. Herein, the anti-infective property of the hydroxyflavone baicalin, was investigated against biofilms of the key dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Baicalin inhibited sucrose-dependent biofilm formation at a concentration of 500 µg ml⁻¹ without affecting bacterial growth. It significantly inhibited acid production for an extended period of 8 h. Microscopic analysis revealed a 6-fold reduction in the number of adhered cells with baicalin treatment. Transcriptomic analysis of the mid-log phase and biofilm cells showed marked downregulation of the virulence genes required for biofilm formation and acid production. This study sheds significant new light on the potential for baicalin to be developed into an anti-caries agent.

Keywords:

• Baicalin
• biofilm
• dental caries
• streptococcus mutans
• virulence

Acknowledgements

AVE, SV, KS and SAP acknowledge SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, India for extending infrastructure support to carry out this work. SV wishes to express her sincere thanks to DST-INSPIRE (IF170369) for financial aid.

Author contributions

All the authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funds from the MHRD, India Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration - SPARC Cell, SPARC/2018-2019/P27 to SAP and PN.