Zingerone marginally impacts dental caries-causing oral bacteria biofilm formation

Dental caries is the most prevalent childhood disease, affecting nearly 30% of children worldwide. Caries occur when oral bacteria form biofilms on tooth surfaces and produce acidic by-products from residual metabolites. While regular brushing and mouth washes are effective measures for some, additional preventative methods are needed to decrease caries in individuals colonized by aggressive biofilm-forming species. Previous research has demonstrated that zingerone, a component of ginger, can decrease biofilm formation in other bacterial species, perhaps by preventing communication and coordination of gene expression. This project investigated if zingerone reduces biofilm formation in the oral bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus gasseri. Each bacterial species was grown and placed in a Drip Flow Biofilm Reactor and treated with a diluted media and zingerone solution. Biofilm formation was analyzed using a confocal microscope and Live/Dead stain. Although biofilm formation of both strains decreased with zingerone treatment, there was not a significant difference between experimental and control groups for S. mutans. Only two trials of L. gasseri were completed in this study; therefore, statistical analysis was not yet possible to determine if the reduction of biofilm in this species was significant. Nevertheless, this research models the dynamic environment of medical treatments and can be used as a bridge between traditional static biofilm assays and clinical trials. Additional trials with increased sample size may reveal zingerone's ability to significantly decrease biofilm formation in a simulated mouth environment.