Isolation of red wine components with anti-adhesion and anti-biofilm activity against Streptococcus mutans

Red wine is a widely consumed beverage with multiple beneficial effects on human health. In the present
paper, the anticaries properties of red wine were studied in vitro and ex vivo. Our in vitro findings shows
that dealcoholised red wine, besides exerting antibacterial activity, strongly interferes with Streptococcus
mutans adhesion to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (sHA) beads, promotes its detachment from sHA, and
powerfully inhibits in vitro biofilm formation. The main components responsible for such activities were
found to be proanthocyanidins. The ability of red wine to inhibit ex vivo S. mutans biofilm formation on
the occlusal surface of natural human teeth also was demonstrated.
Our data indicates that protection of the oral cavity from the cariogenic action of S. mutans may be
another beneficial effect of the moderate consumption of red wine.