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.