Effect of a novel antimicrobial peptide chrysophsin-1 on oral pathogens and Streptococcus mutans biofilms

Dental caries and pulpal diseases are common oral bacterial infectious diseases. Controlling and reducing the causative pathogens, such as Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis, is a key step toward prevention and treatment of the two diseases. Chrysophsin-1 is a cationic antimicrobial peptide having broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of chrysophsin-1 against several oral pathogens and S. mutans biofilms and performed a preliminary study of the antimicrobial mechanism. Cytotoxic activity of chrysophsin-1 against human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) was investigated. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time–kill assay were used to evaluate the killing effect of chrysophsin-1. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze morphological and membrane change in oral pathogens. Live/Dead staining, in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM), was used to observe and analyze S. mutans biofilms. MIC and MBC results demonstrated that chrysophsin-1 had different antimicrobial activities against the tested oral microbes. Lysis and pore formation of the cytomembrane were observed following treatment of the bacteria with chrysophsin-1 for 4 h or 24 h by SEM. Furthermore, CLSM images showed that chrysophsin-1 remarkably reduced the viability of cells within biofilms and had a significantly lethal effect against S. mutans biofilms. Toxicity studies showed that chrysophsin-1 at concentration between 8 μg/ml and 32 μg/ml had little effect on viability of HGFs in 5 min. Our findings suggest that chrysophsin-1 may have potential clinical applications in the prevention and treatment of dental caries and pulpal diseases.

► The inhibitory effect of chrysophsin-1 against oral pathogens and S. mutans biofilms.
► A preliminary study of the antimicrobial mechanism of chrysophsin-1.
► Chrysophsin-1 had considerable antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential.
► Chrysophsin-1 acted by a lytic mechanism involving pore formation and cell lysis.