Cranberry constituents affect fructosyltransferase expression in Streptococcus mutans.

Mark Feldman*, Ervin Weiss, Moshe Shemesh, Itzhak Ofek, Gilad Bachrach, Ramona Rozen, Doron Steinberg

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

CONTEXT: Cranberry juice has long been recognized in folk medicine as a therapeutic agent, mainly in urinary tract infections. Its proposed mechanism of action is antiadhesion of bacteria. OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the potential antiadhesion effect of nondialyzed material of cranberry (NDM) via its influence on secretion, gene expression, and promoter activity of the fructosyltransferase (FTF), which is among the extracellular enzymes associated with dental biofilm formation and pathogenesis of oral bacteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Secretion of FTF from Streptococcus mutans, in the presence of NDM, was measured by immunoblotting and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Its influence on ftf gene expression was determined by reverse transcription followed by real-time RT-PCR. The luciferase assay was used to detect bioluminescence expressed by the ftf promoter activity of bacteria exposed to NDM. RESULTS: NDM at concentrations between 0.2/mL and 1mg/mL significantly (P<.05) decreased secretion of extracellular FTF, as well as down-regulated ftf expression in a dose-dependent manner. NDM also markedly reduced the luciferase activity under the ftf promoter.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)32-38
Number of pages7
JournalAlternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Volume15
Issue number2
StatePublished - 2009

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