Developing Oral Probiotics from Streptococcus Salivarius

Abstract

Considerable human illness can be linked to the development of oral microbiota disequilibria. The predominant oral cavity commensal, Streptococcus salivarius has emerged as an important source of safe and efficacious probiotics, capable of fostering more balanced, health-associated oral microbiota. Strain K12, the prototype S. salivarius probiotic, originally introduced to counter Streptococcus pyogenes infections, now has an expanded repertoire of health-promoting applications. K12 and several more recently proposed S. salivarius probiotics are now being applied to control diverse bacterial consortia infections including otitis media, halitosis and dental caries. Other potential applications include upregulation of immunological defenses against respiratory viral infections and treatment of oral candidosis. An overview of the key steps required for probiotic development is also presented.

Keywords:

• bacterial interference
• bacteriocin
• bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance
• immune stimulation
• lantibiotic
• megaplasmid
• oral microbiota
• oral probiotic
• Streptococcus salivarius

Financial & competing interests disclosure

JR Tagg is Professor Emeritus at the University of Otago and is the founding scientist of BLIS Technologies Ltd, which is a company that specializes in the development and production of probiotic microorganisms including Streptococcus salivarius strains K12 and M18. PA Wescombe and JDF Hale are employed by BLIS Technologies Ltd. NCK Heng is employed by the University of Otago. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.