Study of cariogenic potential of species from family Bifidobacteriaceae.

• Grant number: 10/02063-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Cristiane Yumi Koga Ito
• Grantee: Bruno Mello de Matos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Even though many epidemiological evidences connect S. mutans to dental caries, molecular studies indicate that the dental caries is the result of complex bacterial communities. These molecular studies suggest that bifidobacteria may play an important role in deep caries. A previous study reported the acidogenic capacity of this group of bacteria (Crociani et al., 1996). However, there is not additional information about the cariogenic characteristics of these species that could elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of the dental caries. The aim of this study is to investigate the cariogenic potential of species from the family Bifidobacteriaceae more prevalent in the oral cavity (Bifidobacterium dentium, Scardovia inopinata e Parascardovia denticolens). The study is divided in two subprojects. Subproject 1 - the aim is to investigate cariogenic characteristics of biofilms of standard strains of bifidobacteria: organic acid production, chlorhexidine susceptibility, caries in vitro, extracellular polysaccharides production and protein expression in presence of sucrose. Subproject 2 - the aim is to evaluate in vitro cariogenic characteristics of clinical isolates from decayed dentin: acidogenicity, adhesion, aciduricity and extracellular polysaccharides. The data will be evaluated by descriptive statistics and normal distribution analysis. After this first analysis, the comparative tests will be chosen.