Characterization and potential oral probiotic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum FT 12 and Lactobacillus brevis FT 6 isolated from Malaysian fermented food

Probiotics are a beneficial group of microorganisms that will benefit the host when consumed in an adequate amount (Martín & Langella, 2019). Probiotics have been shown to be able to treat or prevent various types of conditions such as allergies, digestive problems, pathogen infections, and in some cases chronic liver diseases and diabetes (Abatenh, 2018). In the last decade, research has proven that probiotics are able to inhibit the attachment of related pathogens to the host tissue, thereby modulating immune responses in cases of dental infections and the production of an antimicrobial compound that could combat pathogenic oral bacteria. Probiotics reportedly have anti-biofilm properties and can disrupt the complex bacteria-to-bacteria communication (Pujia et al., 2017).

Fundamental research on probiotics has led to the development of a few strains that are now being tested in clinical trials to assist in the treatment of various dental issues (Pretzl et al., 2019, Yuki et al., 2019). The application of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy to non-surgical treatment such as scaling and root planing (SRP) for periodontal patients has been studied, and a few of the studies recorded positive outcomes such as reduction of periodontal pathogens and clinical improvements (Alanzi et al., 2018, Laleman et al., 2020).

Periodontitis or periodontal disease is a serious dental problem which affects around 50% of adults and adolescents in developing countries (Nazir, 2017). Periodontal disease is a chronic dental problem caused by the pathogenic invasion, which leads to the deterioration of the tissues surrounding the teeth and subsequently the loss of tooth attachment. This condition begins with the inflammation of the gingival tissue and progresses to its recession (Michaud, et al., 2017). Important periodontal pathogens are P. gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Tannerella forsythia (Alwaeli, 2018).

Among the aforementioned pathogens, P. gingivalis is the keystone pathogen that shifts the balance of oral microbiota and eventually disrupts the regulation of the immune response pathway. The shift in oral microbiota results in dysbiosis after the invasion of P. gingivalis (Curtis et al., 2020). There are a few P. gingivalis virulence factors that are functional for colonisation and recolonisation inside the oral cavity, the evasion of the immune responses and resistance towards antimicrobial treatment, including the fimbriae, gingipains, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) layer (Jia et al., 2019; Jun et al., 2017).

To protect against the recolonisation of P. gingivalis after mechanical treatments, a few established antibiotics and antibacterial mouthwash are administered to inhibit the pathogen. The most common antibiotics include metronidazole, amoxicillin–metronidazole combination, and azithromycin, whilst tetracycline, clindamycin, and minocycline are less common. Other than antibiotic drugs, antibacterial mouthwash chlorhexidine 0.2% is given to periodontal patients as adjunct treatment (Pretzl et al., 2019). There are a few drawbacks of the current antimicrobial treatments. They stain the tooth surface and reduce palatal sensitivity by chlorhexidine and antibiotics (Teoh et al., 2019, Zhao et al., 2020). Moreover, the biofilm formed by P. gingivalis with other periodontal pathogens reduces the efficiency of antibiotics treatment (Gerits et al., 2017).

Probiotics were introduced as a novel way to combat the biofilm formation of various pathogens (Coenye et al., 2020). Probiotics are a promising alternative to improve oral health, especially in gingival and periodontal disease management (Belibasakis et al., 2019). Numerous studies have found that periodontal pathogens can be inhibited by probiotics live culture or cell-free supernatant (CFS) from various commercial strains (Abdelhamid et al., 2018, Elgamily et al., 2018, Jeong et al., 2018). However, very few studies have characterised lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented food as potential probiotics for oral health improvement.

In this study, Lactobacillus brevis FT6 and Lactobacillus plantarum FT12 isolated from fermented tapioca were investigated for their potential role as probiotics in oral health. The lactic acid bacteria candidates were screened for their antimicrobial susceptibility, and anti-biofilm formation properties and characterised for their probiotic potential. The isolated lactic acid bacteria were compared with the commercial strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469.

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