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Dental disease is a very prevalent and costly disease in which the symptoms, not the disease, are currently being treated. The disease is caused by pathogenic oral bacteria, many of which are a part of the Mutans Streptococci. The objective of this was to find a natural substance that is antibacterial towards the Mutans Streptococci and could have possible uses as a dental disease inhibitor. Crude and prefractionated extracts, as well as purified compounds, from marine organisms were screened against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus for antibacterial activity using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing. Several antibacterial extracts were identified as well as one very potent pure compound, allolaurinterol. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of allolaurinterol against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus was found to be 5 µg/mL and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) was found to be 10 µg/mL. Once the mammalian cell cytotoxicity is determined, the therapeutic window will be known and the possible use of allolaurinterol as a consumer product can be explored.

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Adam is a practicing dentist in Lebanon, OR. This work was his undergraduate project from the Oregon State University Honors Program.

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