Anti-Cariogenic Effects of and in Cross-Kingdom In Vitro Models.

Despite the well-documented health benefits of the probiotic , 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 and , on tooth enamel and followed by subsequent enamel demineralization. Here, we investigated the effect of two strains ( and ) on - cross-kingdom interactions using a cariogenic planktonic model. Viable cells, pH changes, and gene expression were measured. and inhibited the growth of in dual- and multi-species conditions at 4, 6, and 20 h. also inhibited hyphal formation. Furthermore, reduced the acidity of the culture medium, which usually plummeted below pH 5 when and were present in the model. The presence of maintained the culture medium above 6 even after overnight incubation, demonstrating a protective potential against dental enamel demineralization. significantly down-regulated and gene expression. Overall, our results shed light on a new promising candidate, , for dental caries prevention due to its potential to create a less cariogenic environment marked by a neutral pH and reduced growth of .