| Summary: | Despite the well-documented health benefits of the probiotic <i>Saccharomyces</i>, its application in oral health has not been comprehensively assessed. Dental caries is a transmissible disease initiated by acid production of cariogenic bacteria and yeast, such as <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> and <i>Candida albicans</i>, on tooth enamel and followed by subsequent enamel demineralization. Here, we investigated the effect of two <i>Saccharomyces</i> strains (<i>Saccharomyces boulardii</i> and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>) on <i>S. mutans</i>–<i>C. albicans</i> cross-kingdom interactions using a cariogenic planktonic model. Viable cells, pH changes, and gene expression were measured. <i>S. cerevisiae</i> and <i>S. boulardii</i> inhibited the growth of <i>C. albicans</i> in dual- and multi-species conditions at 4, 6, and 20 h. <i>Saccharomyces</i> also inhibited <i>C. albicans</i> hyphal formation. Furthermore, <i>Saccharomyces</i> reduced the acidity of the culture medium, which usually plummeted below pH 5 when <i>S. mutans</i> and <i>C. albicans</i> were present in the model. The presence of <i>Saccharomyces</i> maintained the culture medium above 6 even after overnight incubation, demonstrating a protective potential against dental enamel demineralization. <i>S. boulardii</i> significantly down-regulated <i>S. mutans atpD</i> and <i>eno</i> gene expression. Overall, our results shed light on a new promising candidate, <i>Saccharomyces</i>, for dental caries prevention due to its potential to create a less cariogenic environment marked by a neutral pH and reduced growth of <i>C. albicans</i>.
|
|---|