Abstract
With recently growing health consciousness, natural materials with pharmacological actions have been increasingly attracting attention. In the dental field, materials with desirable functions, such as the inhibition of caries, have been studied, and greater importance is attached to effects on cariogenic bacteria, mutans streptococci.In this study, we focused on grapes, which contain abundant physiologically active substances, such as triterpene and polyphenols, particularly strained wine lees (pomece). Physiologically active substances were extracted from pomece, and their inhibitory activities on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) glucosyltransferase and growth were measured. In addition, the compositions and structures of physiologically active substances contained in pomece were clarified to investigate the possibility of pomece serving as a caries inhibitor.Pomece extract exhibited GTase and cariogenic bacterial growth inhibitory effects. On component analysis employing thin-layer chromatography and HPLC-UV, a triterpene, oleanolic acid, was present at 10% in ethanol extract of pomece before purification and 90% in a fraction showing strong activity.It was clarified that pomece extract exhibited inhibitory activities on WIG synthesis and S. mutans growth due to it containing oleanolic acid. Although it is necessary to investigate the most effective method of utilizing the extract, these activities markedly varied depending on the oleanolic acid content, suggesting that pomece extract may be utilized as a caries inhibitor.
