Role of Prebiotic Inulin extracted from chicory root in Oral care, In-vitro study

Prebiotics are indigestible dietary supplements. Their function is to increase the growth andactivity of beneficial organisms (probiotics) while inhibiting the growth and activity of potentiallyharmful bacteria. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of inulin in enhancing the growthof Lactobacillus sp. and shows antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans a dental cariescausing microorganism. Growth pattern was observed for Lactobacillus plantarum andLactobacillus casei in MRS broth supplemented with 1% inulin and compared with Streptococcusmutans in Brain Heart Infusion Broth supplemented with 1% inulin. Lactobacillus plantarumshowed maximum growth with 0.89 Log10 then Lactobacillus casei with 0.79 Log10 increase andStreptococcus mutans was observed to have only 0.05 Log10 increase. This shows that there is nosuch effect of inulin on the growth of Streptococcus mutans from 0 hr to 24 hr when comparedwith Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus casei in MRS blank and MRS supplemented with1% inulin and BHIB blank and BHIB supplemented with 1% inulin. Antimicrobial activity ofinulin was also observed against Streptococcus mutans with (12.94±0.14) mm Mean ± SEMzones of inhibition and no zone was observed against Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacilluscasei.