Curcumin Inhibits the Sortase A Activity of the Streptococcus mutans UA159.

Hu, Ping; Huang, Ping; Chen, Wei

Streptococcus mutans ( S. mutans) forms part of the commensal microflora and is deemed to be the major pathogen responsible for the generation of dental caries. The enzyme, sortase A enzyme, modulates the surface properties and cariogenicity of S. mutans. Curcumin has been reported to be an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus sortase A. In this study, inhibition of a purified S. mutans UA159 sortase A by curcumin was evaluated. Curcumin exerted strong inhibitory activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) of 10.2 ± 0.7 μM which was lower than the minimum inhibitory concentration of 175 μM and the minimum bactericidal concentration of 350 μM. These results indicated that curcumin is a S. mutans UA159 sortase A inhibitor and therefore represents as a promising anticaries agent.

STREPTOCOCCUS mutans; PATHOGENIC bacteria; DENTAL caries; CURCUMIN; MICROBIAL sensitivity tests; INHIBITORS of bacterial cell wall synthesis; BACTERICIDAL action; THERAPEUTICS

Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2013, Vol 171, Issue 2, p396

0273-2289

Academic Journal

10.1007/s12010-013-0378-9