Dextran degrading activity of oral microbial flora.

Dextran degrading activity of the human oral microflora was detected by culturing in TYD broth (Tryptose 1.0%, Yeast extract 0.3%, Dextran T-150 (Pharmacia, MW 150,000) 0.15%). All of the plaue and saliva samples collected from 10 subjects showed a dextran degrading activity, both cultured aerobically and anaerobically, while the anaerobic culture was more active than the aerobic. Furthermore, some individual differences were observed in their activity. Crude enzyme(s) was extracted from the supernatant of a mixed culture of plaque sample by adding ammonium-sulfate to 0.6 and 0.8 saturation (called E-1 and E-2, respectively). E-1 contained 2 dextran-degrading enzymes, one being thought to be an endo-enzyme, with the optimal of H being 5.0 and the other an exo-enzyme with the optimal pH being 7.0-7.5. On the other hand, E-2 contained 1 enzyme of the endo-type. Thirteen strains producing dextranase were isolated from the plaque and were identified as Bacteroides oralis-like organisms. Several other organisms were thought to produce dextranase, although we failed to isolate them in this experiment.