Probiotic has antifungal effects on oral species .

An alternative approach for managing infections in the oral cavity by modulating the oral microbiota with probiotic bacteria has been proposed. The aim was to investigate the antifungal potential of the probiotic bacterium (DSM 17938 and ATCC PTA 5289) against six oral species (, and ). The lactobacilli were tested for their ability to co-aggregate with and inhibit the growth of the yeasts assessed by spectrophotometry and the agar overlay inhibition assay. Additionally, the pH was evaluated with microsensors, and the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by the lactobacilli was verified. Both strains showed co-aggregation abilities with the yeasts. The lactobacilli almost completely inhibited the growth of and , but did not affect . Statistically significant differences in co-aggregation and growth inhibition capacities between the two strains were observed (p<0.001). The pH measurements suggested that can resist the acids produced by the lactobacilli. exhibited antifungal properties against five of the six most common oral Candida species. Further, the results reconfirms that the probiotic capacity of is strain specific.