DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL OAT DRINK WITH EMPHASIS ON CONTROL MICROORGANISMS THAT CAUSE CARIES AND PERIODONTITIS

• Grant number: 24/09430-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Adriane Elisabete Antunes de Moraes
• Grantee: Stefhani Andrioli Romero
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Caries and periodontitis are diseases associated with dysbiosis that can compromise the oral health of children, causing pain, gum bleeding, and impaired eating and weight gain/growth due to inadequate nutrient intake. Some microorganisms have inhibitory effects on Streptococcus mutans - the main cause of caries - and Porphyromonas gingivalis - a pathogen associated with periodontitis. Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1 is a commercial strain with potential action as an adjuvant in the treatment of caries and periodontitis. Thus, this project aims to develop a functional oat drink fermented by the SP1 strain, added with inulin and xylitol (as a non-cariogenic sweetening agent), and to evaluate potential inhibitory effects of this beverage on species associated with oral diseases. For the development of the beverage, the fermentation curve, viability of the strain in the product, evaluation of the microbiological safety of the beverage, evaluation of the survival of the probiotic after simulated digestion and antagonistic activity against S. mutans and P. gingivalis in an in vitro study will be monitored. In addition, the functional beverage will be inoculated in a dynamic oral ecosystem simulator to evaluate its effect on multispecies oral biofilm. The biofilm, originated from saliva and oral biofilm samples of children, will be cultivated in vitro for 7 days in culture plates with pins coated with hydroxyapatite and then the pins will be added to the simulator, with the system remaining in a stabilization period for 3-4 days, followed by the supplementation period with the beverage, totaling 9 days, evaluating the oral microbial ecology and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The experiment will be conducted using biofilm from children with a family history of periodontitis and from children with a family history of periodontal health (controls). Biofilm samples obtained from the model will be evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and SCFA analysis by gas chromatography. The results will be statistically analyzed, adopting P < 0.05. (AU)