Inhibition of malodorous gas formation by oral bacteria with cetylpyridinium and zinc chloride.

Objective The antimicrobial efficacy of zinc- (ZnCl 2 ) and cetylpyridinium-chloride (CPC) and their inhibition capacity on volatile sulfur compound (VSC) production by oral bacterial strains were investigated. Design Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and growth curves were determined for ZnCl 2 , CPC, and CPC with ZnCl 2 solutions against eight oral microorganisms ( Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis , Prevotella intermedia , Treponema denticola , Tannerella forsythia , Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans ) known to be involved in the pathophysiology of both halitosis and periodontal disease. Gas chromatography was applied to measure VSCs (H 2 S, CH 3 SH, (CH 3 ) 2 S) production levels of each strains following exposure to the solutions. Results ZnCl 2 and CPC effectively inhibited growth of all eight strains. ZnCl 2 was generally more effective than CPC in suppressing bacterial growth excluding A. actinomycetemcomitans , P. intermedia , and T. forsythia . Synergism between CPC and ZnCl 2 was shown in A. actinomycetemcomitans . The MIC for CPC was significantly lower than ZnCl 2 . VSC production was detected in five bacterial strains ( A. actinomycetemcomitans , F. nucleatum , P. gingivalis , T. denticola , and T. forsythia ). Each bacterial strain showed unique VSCs production profiles. H 2 S was produced by F. nucleatum , P. gingivalis , and T. denticola , CH 3 SH by all five strains and (CH 3 ) 2 S by A. actinomycetemcomitans , F. nucleatum , P. gingivalis , and T. denticola . Production of CH 3 SH, the most malodorous component among the three major VSCs from mouth air was evident in F. nucleatum and T. forsythia . Conclusion Both ZnCl 2 and CPC effectively inhibit bacterial growth causative of halitosis and periodontal disease, resulting in a direct decrease of bacterial VSCs production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]