Assessment of Oral Microbial Viability by 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol a Redox Agent

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Dental Science

Background:

• Oral bacteria quantification is crucial for assessing oral health.
• Existing methods for bacterial quantification can be time-consuming.
• Developing rapid and accurate methods is essential for evaluating antimicrobial agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) as a colorimetric reagent for rapid oral bacteria quantification.
• To assess the antimicrobial efficacy of oral hygiene products using DCIP reduction.
• To establish a cost-effective method for enumerating oral microorganisms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP), a redox dye, for colorimetric analysis.
• Measured spectrophotometrically the reduction of DCIP by viable oral bacteria (e.g., *Streptococcus mutans*, *Candida albicans*).
• Correlated DCIP reduction with viable plate counts and assessed the impact of microbial inactivation.

Main Results:

• Viable oral microbial cells effectively reduced DCIP, indicated by a loss of blue color.
• A significant correlation was observed between increasing viable plate counts and DCIP reduction.
• Inactivated organisms showed significantly lower DCIP reduction compared to metabolically active ones.

Conclusions:

• DCIP reduction offers a rapid, accurate, and low-cost method for quantifying oral bacteria.
• This technique effectively evaluates the antimicrobial properties of mouthwashes and toothpastes.
• The study presents a visually-based, accessible laboratory method for oral organism enumeration.