Comparison of the cariostatic effects between regimens to administer oolong tea polyphenols in SPF rats

• Published in: Caries research Vol. 32; no. 1; p. 75
• Main Authors: Ooshima, T, Minami, T, Matsumoto, M, Fujiwara, T, Sobue, S, Hamada, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-01-1998
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Cariogenic Agents - adverse effects; Cariostatic Agents - administration & dosage; Cariostatic Agents - therapeutic use; Catechin - therapeutic use; Dental Caries - etiology; Dental Caries - microbiology; Dental Caries - prevention & control; Dental Plaque - microbiology; Diet; Dietary Sucrose - adverse effects; Flavonoids; Glucosyltransferases - antagonists & inhibitors; Male; Phenols - administration & dosage; Phenols - therapeutic use; Polymers - administration & dosage; Polymers - therapeutic use; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Streptococcus sobrinus - pathogenicity; Streptococcus sobrinus - physiology; Tea; Virulence; Water Supply
• ISSN: 0008-6568
• DOI: 10.1159/000016433

The cariostatic effect of oolong tea polyphenols administered according to several regimens was examined in specific pathogen-free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley rats given both a diet containing 20% sucrose and infected with S. sobrinus 6715. The crude preparation (OTE) of oolong tea polyphenols showed the most prominent effect on caries reduction in SPF rats when OTE was administered in the drinking water beginning 1 day prior to the inoculation of S. sobrinus 6715, when compared with chromatographically isolated polyphenol fractions (OTF1 and OTF6) of OTE. Reduction in caries development was found even when OTE was given 1 day after inoculation of the organism. OTE was shown to significantly inhibit dental caries in rats at the concentrations of either more than 5 microg/ml in drinking water or more than 10 microg/g in diet. OTF1 and OTF6 also showed significant inhibition of caries induction, with the minimum inhibitory concentration of OTF6 being 50 microg/ml in drinking water and the minimum inhibitory concentration of OTF1 being 100 microg/g in diet. These results indicate that cariostatic activity of OTE was effective even after the establishment of S. sobrinus in the oral cavity and was more effective in drinking water than in diet. Furthermore, OTE may contain some anticaries substances that affect the virulence of S. sobrinus other than glucosyltransferases.