Benefit of arginine in patients with dental caries

Researchers explored the effects of arginine on the biofilms of patients with dental caries.

In the split-mouth in situ trial, published in the International Journal of Oral Science, the researchers used carriers attached to intraoral splints to grow biofilms for a period of four days in 10 patients with active dental caries. The researchers randomly assigned the biofilms to receive extraoral treatment with sucrose followed by either arginine or placebo. They then assessed how arginine impacted microbial composition, carbohydrate matrix architecture and microscale pH.

The researchers found that arginine attenuated sucrose-induced reductions in pH as well as suppressed carbohydrate matrix production. The biofilms treated with arginine also exhibited an altered spatial distribution of carbohydrates comprising fucose and galactose, decreases in the Streptococcus mitis/oralis group bacteria and non-statistically significant increases in some arginine metabolizers.

Although arginine reduced biofilm virulence, further studies are needed to better understand how the amino acid modulates biofilm architecture.

Read more: International Journal of Oral Science

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