Dentistry

A study was conducted to compare the efficiency of crude aqueous (CA) and solvent extracts (CM) of clove on the caries-inducing properties of Streptococcus mutans. The cariogenic properties investigated included the cell adhesion, cell-surface hydrophobicity and glucan synthesis activities of S. mutans. There was a significant difference between the effect of the CA and CM extracts on the adhesion of S. mutans (P < 0.05) within a concentration range of 5-15 mg/ml, the CM extract demonstrating a slightly higher inhibitory effect. However, the effect of the CM extract on the cell-surface hydrophobicity of S. mutans was weaker than that of the CA extract. The two extracts were found to reduce the synthesis of waterinsoluble glucan (WIG) by almost 50% at a concentration as low as 0.5 mg/ml and the CM extract exhibited a significantly higher inhibitory effect than the CA extract (P < 0.05). The present findings indicate that both the CA and CM extracts exert inhibitory effects on the cariogenic properties of S. mutans and that the CA extract is as equally effective as the CM extract. (J.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative pathogen associated with the biofilm-mediated disease chronic periodontitis. P. gingivalis biofilm formation is dependent on environmental heme for which P. gingivalis has an obligate requirement as it is unable to synthesize protoporphyrin IX de novo, hence P. gingivalis transports iron and heme liberated from the human host. Homeostasis of a variety of transition metal ions is often mediated in Gram-negative bacteria at the transcriptional level by members of the Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) superfamily. P. gingivalis has a single predicted Fur superfamily orthologue which we have designated Har (heme associated regulator). Recombinant Har formed dimers in the presence of Zn2+ and bound one hemin molecule per monomer with high affinity (Kd of 0.23 µM). The binding of hemin resulted in conformational changes of Zn(II)Har and residue 97Cys was involved in hemin binding as part of a predicted -97C-98P-99L- hemin binding motif. The expressi...

Andrographis paniculata isaherbaceous component isolated from Andrographis pa and thus prevent inflammatory diseases. A called atheromas or atheromatous plaque. emphasizing intimal cellular proliferation repeated formation and organization of preventing atherosclerosis from becoming by blocking the cytochrome c release from that result inthe suppression of endothelia peniculatawould be attributed to its anti-It was also shown that it has vaso guanylylcyclase to release nitric oxide dephosporylation of NF-kB subunit p65 S smooth muscle cells thus preventing end demonstrated that Andrographis paniculat by reducing de novo protein synthesis and focusing on the available literature whi paniculata as anti-atherosclerotic agent.