Oral Biology and Oral Pathology Commons^™

Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate-Stearate Inhibits The Growth Of Streptococcus Mutans: A Promising New Approach In Caries Prevention, Amy Lynn Melok, Lee Lee, Siti Ayuni Mohamed Yussof, Tinchun Chu

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the main etiological bacteria present in the oral cavity that leads to dental caries. All of the S. mutans in the oral cavity form biofilms that adhere to the surfaces of teeth. Dental caries are infections facilitated by the development of biofilm. An esterified derivative of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin-3-gallate-stearate (EGCG-S), was used in this study to assess its ability to inhibit the growth and biofilm formation of S. mutans. The effect of EGCG-S on bacterial growth was evaluated with colony forming units (CFU) and log reduction; biofilm formation was qualitatively determined by Congo red assay, …