In-vitro inhibition of glucosyltransferase from the dental plaque bacterium Streptococcus mutans by common beverages and food extracts.

Some fruit juices and beverages inhibit the glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus mutans. Inhibition by cocoa, coffee and tea was due partly to gelatin-precipitable tannins and partly to components that exhibited properties of monomeric polyphenols. Charcoal treatment removed all inhibitory activity. Catechin, a known constituent of these beverages, was an effective inhibitor of the enzymes. The effects of the fruit juices were attributable mainly to the inhibition of the glucosyltransferases by the endogenous fructose and glucose. The findings show that naturally-occurring constituents of foods can inhibit extracellular polysaccharide formation from sucrose. Such constituents may play a role in regulating dental plaque formation in vivo and, thereby, may have long-term effects on the development of dental caries.