Effects of environmental agents on bacteria from the oral cavity
Abstract
Current cancer research links Helicobacter pylori with stomach
cancer and the genus Neisseria with nuclei aberrations in the oral
cavity. In a similar model, preliminary results of a recent study
(Mager et al, 2002) showed that Capnocytophaga gingivalis and
Prevotella melaninogenica were associated with oral cancer lesions,
alluding to a possible role its development. The aim of this project
was to test the susceptibility of these two oral bacteria to
benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a potent carcinogen found in cigarette
smoke to test for the production of carcinogenic by-products. In a
separate study, the bacteria were exposed to curcumin, a
polyphenolic compound found in plant foods with antimicrobial and
anti-cancer properties.