Protamine is an arginine-rich polycationic protein extracted from sperm cells of vertebrates including fishes such as salmon. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suppressive effects of protamine on the growth of oral pathogens for possible usage in dental materials. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by the microdilution method. Twelve strains of oral viridans streptococci, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Candida albicans were suppressed by protamine. MIC and MBC values were between 0.009 similar to 20 mg/mL and 0.019 similar to 80 mg/mL, respectively. The bactericidal activities of protamine against susceptible bacterial species were dependent on the concentration of protamine and incubation time. Based on the results of this study, protamine would be a useful compound for the development of antimicrobial agents against oral pathogens in dental materials.
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