Effect of Probiotic Chocolate in the Reduction of Streptococcus Mutans Count

Malarvizhi Dakshinamoorthy¹, Monisha Subramanian¹, Kesavaram Padmavathi², Krishnan Mahalakshmi², Karthick Arumugam¹ and Vivekanandhan Paramasivam¹

¹Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics,Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India.

²Department of Microbiology, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India.

Corresponding Author E-mail: drmalarendo@gmail.com

Abstract: This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of chocolate containing probiotic organism on the growth of Streptococcus mutans. Lactobacillus fermentum ,Lactobacillus  delbrueckii, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum were the probiotic organisms used in the study and dark chocolate was used as carrier. Dark chocolate was sterilized and the probiotics were incorporated in the dark chocolate according to the WHO/FDA guidelines. The probiotic organisms were incorporated in dark chocolate singly as well as in combination and was divided into seven groups. For comparison of the efficacy of the probiotic chocolate combinations, probiotic combinations (without chocolate) was assessed by agar well diffusion technique and the diameter of the zone of inhibition (in mm) around the wells were recorded. The antibacterial efficacy of the probiotic formulations (with and without chocolate) were compared to evaluate whether the chocolate could / could not alter the efficacy of the formulations. Sterile plain chocolate was used as control. The assay was performed in triplicates.  The highest inhibitory effect was depicted by Bifidobacterium Longum when used alone and with probiotic chocolate. Lactobacillus fermentum, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium bifidum proved to be best than all the probiotics in the study either alone or in combination. In the present study the least effect was shown by the probiotic chocolate with only Lactobacillus delbrueckii.  All the probiotics used in our study had inhibitory effect on Streptococcus mutans and was found to be high in the presence of chocolate.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium; Lactobacillus; probiotics; Streptococcus mutans

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