Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial properties of piperidine and apple cider vinegar on Streptococcus mutans and in-silico demonstration of the mechanism of action

In the seventeenth century, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first observed “animalcules” swarming on living and dead matter out of curiosity he discovered these “animalcules” on his own teeth, it is reasonable to suggest that this early study of dental plaque was the first documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms. Biofilm is an association of micro-organisms in which microbial cells adhere to each other on a wide range surfaces i.e. biological and inert surfaces within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Bacterial biofilm is infectious in nature and can result in infections. The microbial biofilm of caries is diverse and contains many facultative and obligate anaerobic bacteria, S. mutans, is the most common acid producer, primarily associated with caries. Due to increased resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents there is a need for effective and economical way to control the oral biofilm. Chlorhexidine is the most commonly used antimicrobial agent in dentistry as they destroy wide spectrum of microrganisms. Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is used in traditional medicinal systems as an antimicrobial due to presence of volatile compounds, tannins, phenols and various unknown substances. Similarly, acetic acid in apple cider vinegar effective against several types of bacteria and acts as an antimicrobial agent. Methodology: The current study focuses on In-vitro studies on biofilm establishment by S. mutans followed by competitive quenching of the biofilm by Piperidine from black pepper and apple cider vinegar which was carried out at 50,100 150µL concentrations using bacterial growth assessment by spectrophotometer and crystal violet assay. Chlorhexidine has been used as the positive control. Conclusion: Statistical analysis of the results was carried out to determine the correlation between the intensity of biofilm and the concentration of the test materials to evaluate the competence of the three candidate materials tested. The mechanism of anti-biofilm activity has been demonstrated through insilico docking between Piperidine and S. mutans. The study predicts the prospects of Piperidine based product formulations for dental treatments.