Abstract

PROTECTION AGAINST EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL CARIES IN RATS WITH CHICKEN EGG YOLK ANTIBODIES (IgY) GENERATED AGAINST STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS

Gandhimathi. C*, Sentila. R and Michael A

Abstract

High quality oral health care is a vital component of long term general health which plays a major role in the social, economic and personal development of the individual as well as society. Dental caries is the most common infectious transmissible disease in the world today with very high morbidity potential. The prime etiological agent Streptococcus mutans plays a crucial role along with dietary carbohydrates in the development of dental caries. Of all the virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans, Cell Associated Glucosyltransferase (CA-GTF) enzyme is the most important one in the formation of virulent plaque resulting in initiation and progression of dental caries. Using rat model, evaluation of chicken egg yolk antibodies generated against whole cell antigen and cell associated glucosyltransferase enzyme, as a passive immunotherapy against experimental dental caries was carried out after determining its potential in neutralizing the virulence properties of Streptococcus mutans by in vitro assays. Tests to detect the ability of antibodies in inhibiting water insoluble glucan synthesis (WIG), and inhibiting biofilm formation in saliva coated hydroxyapatite blocks revealed higher efficacy of antibodies to CA-GTF in inhibiting WIG synthesis both in solution and in biofilm model as well as reduction in the viable count of Streptococcus mutans count compared to whole cell antigen of Streptococcus mutans. Similarly in rat model in terms of reduction of total Streptococcus mutans count and in reduction of caries in rat molar teeth, antibodies to CA-GTF had greater potential than antibodies to whole cell antigen of Streptococcus mutans.

Keywords: Chicken eggyolk antibodies (IgY), Cell Associated Gllucosyltransferase (CA-GTF), Whole cell antigen (WC), Sprague –Dawley Rats (SD Rats).