The bacterial strain Streptococcus strain C17T was found to have good anti-adhesive effects in human bronchial epithelial cells against Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogenic bacterium in the oral cavity.
“Though this strain is highly promising as a novel putative probiotic for the regulation of oral health, further in vitro and in vivo testing on it is required,” wrote scientists from the Key Lab of Environmental Pollution and Microecology of Liaoning Province at Shenyang Medical College in Letters in Applied Microbiology.
“Concurrently, we expect the strain to be used in the production of probiotic foods such as powder and chewing gum”
Oral probiotics
The strain, if supported by additional human intervention studies, may join the small group of probiotics for oral health. The category is currently dominated by BLIS, which was developed by scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand. It is a specific strain of Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius), which secretes powerful antimicrobial molecules called BLIS: Bacteriocin-Like-Inhibitory Substances.
There are different BLIS ingredients available, including K12 and M18: K12 supports ENT health and M18 supports teeth and gum health.
Study details
The new study used a strain isolated from the mouth and throat of a healthy five-year old. The strain, designated C17T, was found to tolerate moderately acidic pH levels, and the presence of bile (0.5-1%).
Tests using human bronchial epithelial cells (16-HBE) – used as model for the human mouth and throat – revealed that C17T could inhibit the activity of various common pathogenic bacteria, including S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, P. vulgaris, S. pyogenes, A. baumannii, and K. pneumoniae.
“Competition, exclusion, and displacement assays showed that it had good anti-adhesive effect against S. aureus,” stated the researchers.
“The present study revealed that Streptococcus strain C17T is a potentially efficacious oropharyngeal probiotic.”
Source: Letters in Applied Microbiology
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1111/lam.13680
“Streptococcus strain C17T as a potential probiotic candidate to modulate oral health”
Authors: W.X. Zhang et al.