[Caries-inducing activity of isomaltooligosugar (IMOS) in in vitro and rat experiments]

The caries-inducing activity of Isomaltooligosugar (IMOS: a isomaltose rich sugar mixture) was examined in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Strains of Streptococcus mutans MT8148R and Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 fermented IMOS and produced acids. IMOS inhibited the glucan synthesis from sucrose by glucosyltransferases from both of S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Furthermore, IMOS inhibited sucrose-dependent adherence of those mutans streptococci. IMOS was found to induce significant but minimal caries SPF Sprague-Dawley rats infected with either MT8148R and 6715. However, IMOS did not inhibit the caries which was induced by sucrose.