[Effect of Chelerythrine on glucosyltransferase and water-insoluble glucan of Streptococcus mutans]

To study the effect of Chelerythrine on glucosyltransferase and extra-cellular synthesis of water-insoluble glucan of Streptococcus mutans.

The Chelerythrine was used as the experimental group with concentrations ranging from 24.4microg/ml to 390.6microg/ml prepared with BHI broth medium with contained 2% glucose, and BHI culture medium was used as the control group. Streptococcus mutans was added to each group, after cultured for 24 hours in the test tubes, centrifugation was followed. The supernatants were divided into two batches. One batch of solutions was used to extract glucosyltransferase, Bradford method and Somogyi method were used to measure the content of total protein and enzyme activity, and the specific activity was calculated. Another batch of solutions was used to measure the content of water-insoluble glucan by anthrone method. The data was statistically analyzed by One-way ANOVA using SPSS13.0 software package.

The glucosyltransferase and water-insoluble glucan of Streptococcus mutans decreased gradually with the increase of each concentration of Chelerythrine. There were highly significant differences among total sample groups, and between glucosyltransferase activity or specific activity of each experimental group and control group as well (P<0.01); Except for the group of 24.4microg/ml Chelerythrine, there were highly significant differences of water-insoluble glucan between each experimental group and control group (P<0.01).There was positive correlation between glucosyltransferase activity and water-insoluble glucan content (r=0.883, P<0.01).

Chelerythrine could inhibit the glucosyltransferase and extra-cellular synthesis of water-insoluble glucan of Streptococcus mutans.