Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: EDINE MARIA DE MEDEIROS CAMPOS

Antimicrobial activity and potential antibiofilm effect of Cannabis sativa L. on Streptococcus mutans and commensal bacteria from the oral environment: an in vitro study

Cannabis; Cannabidiol; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Streptococcus mutans. 

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease associated with the demineralization of dental tissues resulting from the metabolic activity of microorganisms organized in biofilms, in which Streptococcus mutans plays a central role. Despite the effectiveness of conventional antimicrobial agents, such as chlorhexidine, their adverse effects and impact on the oral microbiota have encouraged the search for alternative therapeutic approaches. In this context, phytocannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) have shown antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential. This study aims to evaluate and compare the in vitro antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of full-spectrum Cannabis sativa extract rich in CBD, rich in CBG and their association against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus salivarius. This is an in vitro experimental study, in which the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) will be determined by broth microdilution, as well as bacterial killing kinetics. Antibiofilm activity will be assessed in 96-well plates, both during biofilm formation and in preformed monospecies biofilms, with biofilm biomass quantification. The results will be compared to chlorhexidine as a positive control. Data will be analyzed using GraphPad Prism, applying the Shapiro-Wilk test followed by ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test. A significance level of 5% (p < 0.05) will be adopted. This study may contribute to the development of new natural therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling cariogenic biofilms and preventing dental caries.