Inhibiting interspecies coaggregation of plaque bacteria with a cranberry juice constituent

Dental plaque stability depends on bacterial adhesion to acquired pellicle, and on interspecies adhesion (or coaggregation). A high-molecular-weight c ranberry constituent at 0.6 to 2.5 milligrams per milliliter reversed the c oaggregation of 49 (58 percent) of 84 coaggregating bacterial pairs tested. It acted preferentially on pairs in which one or both members are gram-neg ative anaerobes frequently involved in periodontal diseases. Thus, the anti coaggregating cranberry constituent has the potential for altering the subg ingival microbiota, resulting in conservative control of gingival and perio dontal diseases. However, the high dextrose and fructose content of the com mercially available cranberry juice makes it unsuitable for oral hygiene us e, and the beneficial effect of the high-molecular-weight constituent requi res animal and clinical studies.