The Antibacterial Effects Of Vitamin D-3 Against Mutans Streptococci: An In Vitro Study

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of the cholecalciferol vitamin D-3 against Streptococcus sobrinus (Strep. sobrinus) and Streptococcus mutans (Strep. mutans) bacteria in vitro that is considered the main causative bacteria in dental caries development.Materials and MethodsThe antimicrobial effects of vitamin D-3 were evaluated against Strep. sobrinus and Strep mutans using the agar disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of vitamin D-3 were determined using a microdilution method following the guidelines by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate the morphological changes of bacterial cells following exposure to vitamin D-3.ResultsStrep. sobrinus was more sensitive to vitamin D-3 compared to Strep. mutans bacteria. The MIC values of vitamin D-3 against Strep. sobrinus and Strep. mutans were 60 mu g/mL and 250 mu g/mL respectively whereas the MBC values were 120 mu g/mL and 500 mu g/mL, respectively. Moreover, significant changes in the bacterial morphology were observed in treated bacterial cells with vitamin D-3 as compared to the untreated control bacteria using SEM.ConclusionThese findings suggested that vitamin D-3 has excellent antimicrobial effects against Strep. sobrinus and Strep. mutans and may be considered as a promising compound in the prevention of dental caries in the future. Further research is recommended to elucidate the mechanism of vitamin D3 on these bacteria.