Tooth decay, commonly known as caries, is a persistent and prevalent human bacterial disease caused by biofilm-forming acidogenic bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans.
Despite numerous efforts to control this disease, it remains a major public health problem worldwide. However, new research has emerged indicating that cannabidiol (CBD) could be a potential solution to this problem.
The study, published in a recent scientific journal, explored the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of CBD against S. mutans. Researchers at the University of Jerusalem measured minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum inhibitory biofilm concentration (MBIC), and used various techniques to assess bacterial growth, biofilm structure, and bacterial viability.
The results showed that CBD effectively inhibited the planktonic growth of S. mutans and the formation of biofilms in a dose-dependent manner, with similar MIC and MBIC values of 5 μg/ml.
CBD was also able to prevent the reduction in pH values caused by bacteria, which correlated with inhibition of bacterial growth. In addition, the results showed a 50-fold decrease in the production of live bacteria and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS),” study states.
“CBD was able to significantly reduce the viability of preformed biofilms to 7.5 μg/ml, with an 80 ± 3.1% reduction in metabolic activity. “
Surprisingly, pre-coating of culture dish surfaces with CBD prior to incubation with bacteria was found to inhibit biofilm development. In addition, CBD was found to induce membrane hyperpolarization in S. mutans.
These findings indicate that CBD affects multiple processes in S. mutans, including its cariogenic properties.
In conclusion, the study shows that CBD has a strong inhibitory effect against cariogenic bacteria, suggesting that it could be a possible pharmacological adjuvant to reduce oral pathogenic bacterial load and protect against tooth decay.
Link: https://bit.ly/3IeZUkE
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