The next generation of toothpaste or mouthwash flavors might include Pinot Noir or Cabernet if a new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center,
“Most foods contain compounds that are both good and bad for dental health, so the message is not ‘drink more wine to fight bacteria,’” said Hyun Koo, DDS, Ph.D., assistant professor of dentistry within the Eastman Department of Dentistry and Center for Oral Biology at the Medical Center, and an author of the study. “We hope to isolate the key compounds within the winemaking waste that render bad bacteria harmless, perhaps in the mouth with a new kind of rinse.”
The study examined the polyphenol composition in red-wine grapes-—which contain approximately 40% more phenols than white—and their ability to interfere with S. mutans, the bacteria most responsible for producing acid and the building blocks of dental plaque, compounds that promote tooth decay. The bacteria secrete glucosyltransferases (GTFs) enzymes that produce glucans that firmly attach bacteria to tooth surfaces and form a tough biofilm around bacterial colonies. These coatings, extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrices, protect the bacterial colony against the environmental, and can make them more resistant to antibiotics. In addition, because S. mutans secrete acid, they’ve adapted to survive in a low-pH environment and out-compete other bacteria in the mouth. Research on these mechanisms could also yield new ways to fight other biofilm-related infections.
The researchers prepared polyphenolic extracts from harvest season 2005 red-wine grape varieties and pomace from New York state wineries, including Pinot Noir from Hosmer Winery in Ovid, Cabernet Franc from Cornell Orchards in Lansing, Baco Noir from Pleasant Valley Winery in Hammondsport, and Noiret from Swedish Hill Winery in Romulus. While the extracts didn’t kill the bacteria outright, they inhibited two bacterial GTFs by as much as 85%. Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir extracts were the most-effective inhibitors. The study found the grape polyphenols also cause S. mutans to produce significantly less acid.
This discovery might not just be useful in fighting cavities; the research on grape polyphenols might provide new ways to lessen bacteria’s ability to cause life-threatening, systemic infections. Previous research has seen anticariogenic effects with compounds from tea, hops, and nutmeg, among others.
“Overall, the phenolic extracts disrupt essential virulence traits for a widespread, destructive oral pathogen, but without killing it,” said another study author, Olga I. Padilla-Zakour, Ph.D., associate professor of Food Processing within the New York Agricultural Experiment Station of Cornell University. “We are excited about the potential application of active compounds from wine grape byproducts in the control of biofilms as part of the precise targeting of bacterial disease.”
