Antibacterial effect of flavonoids from propolis produced by trigona on atpase activity of streptococcus mutans

Objective: Caries are a major problem related to oral health among children. As it is an infectious disease, bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans, play an important role in caries. Flavonoids have been known to have antibacterial effects, and ethanol, even at very low concentrations, reportedly has antibacterial effects and is widely used as a basic ingredient in drugs. Aim: This study aims to analyze the antibacterial effects of different concentrations of propolis flavonoids and ethanol against S. mutans ATPase activity. Methods: S. mutans cells were exposed to 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1%, 0.075%, and 0.05% propolis flavonoids and then incubated in an anaerobic atmosphere for 48 h. The ATPase activity in these cells was then tested using a colorimetric assay. Results: No significant difference was found in the average ATPase activity of S. mutans after treatment with various concentrations of propolis flavonoids and ethanol. Conclusions: Thus, 0.5%, 0.25%, 0.1%, 0.075%, and 0.05% propolis flavonoids and 10% ethanol had similar effects against S. mutans ATPase activity. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of flavonoids from Trigona spp. propolis.