Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols

Abstract The search has been ongoing for safe and effective antimicrobial agents for control and prevention of oral biofilm associated with disease. Clinical trials for oral specific anti-bacterials are costly and often provide inconclusive results. The simple approach of ex vivo testing of these ag...

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Main Authors: Guy R. Adami, Wei Li, Stefan J. Green, Elissa M. Kim, Christine D. Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87382-0
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author Guy R. Adami
Wei Li
Stefan J. Green
Elissa M. Kim
Christine D. Wu
author_facet Guy R. Adami
Wei Li
Stefan J. Green
Elissa M. Kim
Christine D. Wu
author_sort Guy R. Adami
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The search has been ongoing for safe and effective antimicrobial agents for control and prevention of oral biofilm associated with disease. Clinical trials for oral specific anti-bacterials are costly and often provide inconclusive results. The simple approach of ex vivo testing of these agents has not demonstrated utility, likely due to variability of effects observed even with a single donor. We show how shed oral biofilms, easily obtained from donor saliva, and tested under optimized conditions, respond reproducibly to anti-bacterial challenges measured by reductions in rRNA accumulation in susceptible taxa. Responses are in part donor specific, but many bacteria taxa were shown to be reproducibly susceptible over a group of donors. For two antibiotics, vancomycin and penicillin G tested at pharmacologic levels, a subset of Gram-positive bacteria was inhibited. A natural product with antibacterial properties, diluted Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) juice, was shown to inhibit a range of oral taxa, including Alloprevotella sp__HMT_473, Granulicatella adiacens, Lachnoanaerobaculum umeaense, Lepotrichia sp__HMT_215, Peptostreptococcus stomatis, Prevotella nanceiensis, Stomatobaculum sp__HMT_097, Veillonella parvula, and kill some targets. The model discussed in this study has promise as a rapid, precise, and reproducible ex vivo method to test and identify potential clinically useful antimicrobial agents active against the oral biofilm community.
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spelling doaj-art-acb0967f9c944d9a98a554ff89215f3f2025-08-20T03:11:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-02-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-87382-0Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenolsGuy R. Adami0Wei Li1Stefan J. Green2Elissa M. Kim3Christine D. Wu4Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois ChicagoDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois ChicagoGenomics and Microbiome Core Facility, Rush UniversityDepartment of Oral Medicine and Diagnostics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois ChicagoDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois ChicagoAbstract The search has been ongoing for safe and effective antimicrobial agents for control and prevention of oral biofilm associated with disease. Clinical trials for oral specific anti-bacterials are costly and often provide inconclusive results. The simple approach of ex vivo testing of these agents has not demonstrated utility, likely due to variability of effects observed even with a single donor. We show how shed oral biofilms, easily obtained from donor saliva, and tested under optimized conditions, respond reproducibly to anti-bacterial challenges measured by reductions in rRNA accumulation in susceptible taxa. Responses are in part donor specific, but many bacteria taxa were shown to be reproducibly susceptible over a group of donors. For two antibiotics, vancomycin and penicillin G tested at pharmacologic levels, a subset of Gram-positive bacteria was inhibited. A natural product with antibacterial properties, diluted Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) juice, was shown to inhibit a range of oral taxa, including Alloprevotella sp__HMT_473, Granulicatella adiacens, Lachnoanaerobaculum umeaense, Lepotrichia sp__HMT_215, Peptostreptococcus stomatis, Prevotella nanceiensis, Stomatobaculum sp__HMT_097, Veillonella parvula, and kill some targets. The model discussed in this study has promise as a rapid, precise, and reproducible ex vivo method to test and identify potential clinically useful antimicrobial agents active against the oral biofilm community.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87382-0
spellingShingle Guy R. Adami
Wei Li
Stefan J. Green
Elissa M. Kim
Christine D. Wu
Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
Scientific Reports
title Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
title_full Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
title_fullStr Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
title_full_unstemmed Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
title_short Ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
title_sort ex vivo oral biofilm model for rapid screening of antimicrobial agents including natural cranberry polyphenols
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87382-0
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