The microflora in a healthy oral cavity is in constant biological balance – homeostasis, it is called sessile or endogenous microflora. This situation changes when diseases occur in the body or when so-called exogenous or transient flora (acquired microflora) enters the oral cavity. This happens, for example, with weakened immunity (AIDS, chemotherapy), dehydration, systemic diseases, cancers, nutritional deficiencies (lack of iron, proteins, vitamins), hormonal disorders (during puberty, pregnancy, diabetes), antibiotic therapy, in childhood and old age. The oral environment with sessile microflora constitutes a so-called closed ecosystem, which includes microenvironments called ecological niches, such as: mouth and lips, buccal epithelium, tongue surface, supragingival surfaces of teeth, subgingival surfaces of teeth, epithelium of crevices and pockets, and saliva (1-6). Balance disorders may indicate disease processes occurring in the oral cavity (1-10).

The fluids flowing from the gingival crevices are an abundant source of nutrients for bacteria. Another endogenous generator of nutrients are substances released by the decaying periodontal tissues. This decomposition is enabled by hydrolytic enzymes, i.e. protease, collagenase, and hyaluronidase produced by the bacteria of the oral microflora. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the bacteria living in the oral cavity. They are converted into glucans and fructans (1-12). Changing the environment in which bacteria live in the oral cavity can cause saprophytic bacteria to become pathogenic. The composition of the oral bacterial flora can be changed by drugs: cytostatics, steroids, bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents. The latter two groups of drugs inhibit the growth of bacteria, thus facilitating the growth of fungi and bacteria resistant to their action (2-5, 11, 13).

Physiologically, the bacterial flora of the oral cavity is diverse and consists of bacteria, fungi, mycoplasmas, protozoa and viruses (the most common is the herpes simplex virus, HSV). About 350 species of microorganisms have been cultured from the oral cavity, but many species have not yet been identified. Bacteria constitute the most numerous group. A significant proportion of bacteria living in the oral cavity do not exist in ecosystems other than the human body (4-6, 14-17). The processes of gradual colonization of ecological niches by bacteria in the oral cavity are called ecological succession. Over time, with the creation of new niches, the influx of new microorganisms, and the emergence of new environmental conditions, the ecosystem achieves stabilization - homeostasis. This state is called the finale of development, or the culmination point of the ecosystem (2-5, 11, 13).

The order of microbial colonization depends on the availability of nutrients and the breaking of the natural limit of non-specific immunity. The first to inhabit the oral cavity are the so-called pioneer species transmitted by the macroorganism and obtained from the environment. They colonize specific ecological niches and, over time, multiply, creating ecological communities. The environment in which they live changes as a result of their metabolic activity, which facilitates the penetration of other bacterial species into them, and thus begins ecological succession, which leads to a large and significantly diversified environment of sessile microflora, or to pathological changes (2-13). Each introduction of a new non-bacterial element into the oral cavity environment, from the eruption of the first tooth to complete dentures, contributes to the creation of new environmental conditions. In the new conditions, microorganisms develop rapidly, creating new ecological communities. The first to develop is the aerobic bacterial flora, which causes a decrease in the oxidation-reduction potential of a given niche, which in turn creates favorable conditions for the development of anaerobic bacteria (14-17).

The colonization of the tooth surface by microorganisms is possible due to adhesion or adherence processes. Adhesins enable the connection of the lipophilic surface of bacterial cells with the hydrophobic surface of epithelial cells. Adhesins are proteins that bind to carbohydrates using structures called fimbriae (fibrils of various lengths found on the cell surface). Fimbriae have been detected on streptococci – S. anginosus, S. salivarius, S. oralis, S. mutans, on Actinomycetes – A. viscosus, A. naeslundi and in Gram-negative rods – Prevotella, P. intermedia, P. oralis, P. bucceae, P. melaniogenica and the species Porphyromonas gingivalis (18-20).

Other adhesive substances are substances that stick together or transport substrates, e.g. polypeptides that bind salivary glycoproteins to bacterial cells or calcium ions. Extracellular polypeptides that react with streptococcal proteins behave similarly. The cell walls of streptococci contain lipoteichoic acids that can bind to the acquired salivary sheath (a thin layer that forms from salivary glycoproteins on teeth just a few minutes after brushing and adheres to them). An important role in colonization processes is played by cytoplasmic membrane polyproteins that act as a „transporter” of components, e.g. sugar or peptides associated with the acquired salivary sheath or the surfaces of other bacterial cells. So-called ligands take part in the adhesion processes – negatively charged salivary glycoproteins that can occur on epithelial cells of the mucous membrane, hard tissues of the tooth above and below the gums and on prosthetic restorations. These compounds are positively charged (Ca+2), so they bind to negatively charged bacterial adhesins of streptococci – S. mutans, S. oralis, Actinomyces rods, Gram-negative bacteria, i.e. P. intermedia, F. nucelatum, P. gingivitis, E. corrdens (2-13, 18-20).

Another important adhesion mechanism is bacterial aggregation, which involves the attachment of microorganisms to each other and their adherence to various surfaces. The main substrates in the oral cavity are: the acquired membrane on the hard surfaces of enamel and root cement (bones) and on the oral mucosa. The membrane covering the surfaces is about 1 micron thick and is characteristic of each surface. The membranes on the surfaces of hard tissues are not identical; on the epithelium they are referred to as the mucosal membrane (5, 13, 20-33).

Another important phenomenon in the colonization process is the extracellular polymers produced by streptococci from the S group, mutans. They are produced only in the presence of sucrose and aggregate very quickly on smooth enamel surfaces. A similar situation occurs among bacteria from the Actinomyces genus, but they colonize on the subgingival surfaces of the tooth. These processes initiate the formation of dental plaque, which results in carious changes (2-5, 13, 22-24). In the oral cavity, bacteria group into specific groups, also known as complexes, thanks to which they use nutrients better and defend themselves more effectively against the defense mechanisms of the macroorganism (32, 33). The concept of „bacterial complex” was introduced by Socransky (34). The division criterion is the relationship between bacteria. Socransky divided pathogens in the biofilm into 6 groups, to which he assigned an appropriate color – blue, yellow, green, purple, orange and red. The last three complexes (purple, orange and red) dominate in the subgingival space (34-40). In our studies, we focused on bacteria of the red and yellow complexes (fig. 1).

The yellow group consists of gram-positive bacteria, mainly streptococci (Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus sanguis). Purulent streptococci are characteristic of primary infections of the dental pulp and dentin (endodontium), where they penetrate individually or in the form of coaggregates into the dentinal tubules and are a common cause of caries. Streptococci are also responsible for causing angina and wound infections in the oral cavity. They belong to the permanent physiological flora of the oral cavity, also in healthy people (up to 20% of people in society are their carriers) (fig. 2). In the case of gingivitis, tooth extraction or endodontic procedures, they can penetrate through damage to the vessel walls into the bloodstream and cause transient bacteremia and even endocarditis. In the case of reinfection, they constitute about 20% of all pathogenic bacteria of the oral cavity (34-46). The yellow group also includes organisms from the red complex groups, for example Porphyromonas gingivalis and strains of Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, as well as Streptococci such as S. anginosus and Streptococcus mitis, although the most common are S. gordonii, S. anginosus and S. oralis. The Streptococcus anginosus group includes the species S. intermedius and S. constellatus, which have the greatest ability to penetrate dentinal tubules. Less frequently encountered are S. salivarius, S. sanguis and S. mutans, which are responsible for the production of polysaccharides that can enter the dental canals during the treatment of endodontic infections (fig. 2).

The red complex is the most pathogenic for periodontium. It also contains bacteria that occur most frequently in infected root canals and in abscesses of dental origin. It includes the following bacteria: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola (34). The red complex also includes bacteria that produce black pigments, spirochetes, enterococci, streptococci, bacteria from the Actinomyces and Lactobacillus families and fungi from the Candida family. Bacteria that produce black pigments are Gram-negative anaerobes from the Porphyromonas and Prevotella families. They are responsible for the occurrence of inflammation and symptoms of pain and swelling. Porphyromonas gingivalis are Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacteria that have fimbriae with numerous adhesins, which allow them to attach to periodontal tissues and enable coaggregation with other bacterial species. Additionally, they induce a proinflammatory cytokine response. These strains produce exoenzymes – cysteine proteases with trypsin-like properties, which cause tissue destruction. The end products of P. gingivalis fermentation are acetic, propionic and butyric acid, as well as volatile sulfur compounds, which have a cytotoxic effect on host cells. In this way, they destroy tissue integrity and lead to local changes in the microenvironment of the periodontal pocket (fig. 2).

The aim of the study was to check the antibacterial properties of mouthwashes recommended by Indent – a leader in dental prophylaxis and distributor of companies such as Curasept, Tello, Frezyderm, which help accelerate healing and prevent persistent infections or recurrent canker sores.

The reference bacterial strains of red and yellow complexes: Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277), Treponema denticola (ATCC 35405), Tanarella forsythia (ATCC 43037), Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 10556), Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and as a probiotic strains: Bifidobacterium lactis HNO 19, Kluyveromyces marxianus fragilis B0399, Lactobactilius reuterii Prodentis, Lactobacillus salivarius SGL03 were provided from LGC Standards (Manchester, U.K.) and growth media were used as described in Kucia (21) according to the recommendation of ISO 11133: 2014. These strains were used to test antibacterial activity test with analyzed compounds by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) as described in (21, 47) and are show in supplementary materials in figure S1.

The MIC was estimated by a microtiter plate method using sterile 48 or 96-well plates (47). First, precursor and TIL solutions were prepared sterile deionized water at 20 mg mL-1. Fifty microliters of the solutions was placed in the first row of the plate. Next, 25 μL of sterile TSB medium was added to the other wells, and serial dilutions were performed. Then, 200 μL of inoculated TSB medium containing resazurin (0.02 mg mL^-1) as an indicator was added to all the wells. TSB medium was inoculated with 10(6) colony-forming units (CFU) mL^-1 (approximately 0.5 McFarland units) of the bacterial strains. The plates were incubated at 30°C for 24 h. Color changes from blue to pink or yellowish with turbidity were taken as positive, and the lowest concentration at which there was no visible color change was the MIC. The MBC was estimated based on the measurement of the dehydrogenases activity in the cultures after a 24-h incubation without the ILs. Four millilitres of a dense culture (approximately 10⁹ CFU mL^-1) that was incubated for 24 h in TSB medium at 25°C was added to identical test tubes. Next, the tested compounds were added to the test tubes until the mixture reached final concentrations of 10-250 mg mL^-1. Then, the cultures containing the TILs were incubated for 1 h at 30°C. Next, 0.1 g of CaCO3 and 0.1 mL of a 3% triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) solution were added to the test tubes. Then, the test tubes were sealed with parafilm and incubated for 1 h 30°C in darkness.

All experimental data from at least three different trials (n = 3) are given as means ± standard error of the mean (SEM, manufacturer, Saint Louis, MO, USA). To compare pairs of means, the Tukey post hoc test was used, indicating statistical significance with * p < 0.05 ,** p < 0.1, and *** p < 0.01 (10).

All counds were used with manufacturer recommendation.

1. CURASEPT DAYCARE HERBAL INVASION – protective toothpaste with CPC-HAP 75 ml

Curasept Daycare Protection Booster toothpaste contains essential oils with innovative cetylpyridinium chloride and hydroxyapatite complex (CPC-HAP), whose synergistic action prevents the multiplication of microorganisms in the oral cavity for up to 4 hours after use. Contains a herbal flavor. It is SLS-free. Contains 900 ppm of fluoride. Fights caries and gum disease, halitosis, disinfects and remineralizes:

Active ingredients of Curasept Daycare Herbal Invasion toothpaste: 1) Cetylpyridinium chloride – has an antiseptic effect; 2) CPC-HA Complex (Cetylpyridinium Chloride + Hydroxyapatite) – hydroxyapatite creates a protective layer that remineralizes while gradually releasing cetylpyridine, providing extended protection for up to 4 hours; 3) Essential oils (menthol, eucalyptol, thymol, methyl salicylate) – prevent bacterial aggregation and slow down the growth of biofilm in the oral cavity. Penetrate the dental plaque and have a long-lasting effect at the supragingival and subgingival levels. They also help prevent gingivitis, help with daily mechanical plaque control and fight bad breath. Basic composition: Aqua, Sorbitol, Hydrated Silica, Xylitol, Propylene Glycol, Peg-32, Cellulose Gum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Glycerophosphate, Sodium Fluoride, Cetylopiyridinium Chloride, Calcium Phantothenate, 1,2-hexanediol, Potassium Nitrate, Cetraria Islandica Extract, Thymol, Elettaria Card amomum Seed Oil, Eucalyptol, Menthol, Methyl Salicilate, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/stem Extract, Sodium Saccharin, Aroma, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, P-anisic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, C.l. 19140, C.l. 42090.

2. CURASEPT ADS 100 – 1% chlorhexidine gum gel – 30 ml

The gum gel contains 1% chlorhexidine digluconate, which is one of the best ingredients on the market in effectively combating daily plaque. It also contains Purified water, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose, PVP/VA copolymer, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Chlorhexidine digluconate, Sodium acetate, Aroma, Acetic acid, Sodium metabisulfite, Ascorbic acid.

Using the gel protects the gums and interdental spaces, and also prevents infection of the oral cavity by pathogens, which may be bacteria, fungi or viruses. In addition, the gel has a healing effect on ulcers in the oral cavity, treats periodontal disease, and also combats inflammation caused by irritation of the dental prosthesis. The ADS 100 gel in a 30 ml package is distinguished by its highly concentrated 1% chlorhexidine which acts radically against bacteria and dental plaque. It acts locally in the dental pocket for up to 12 hours after application. And also in the local treatment of gums during dental treatment, for owners of dentures, orthodontic appliances. It is also intended for patients with periodontal disease, having dental implants and also having a tendency to excessive accumulation of dental plaque. It does not change the taste of consumed food and drinks. The CURASEPT A.D.S. function slows down and inhibits the formation of bacterial plaque and prevents irritation of the gums and oral cavity.

3. CURASEPT PREVENT – toothpaste, 75 ml

Curasept Prevent is a toothpaste designed for prophylaxis and maintaining the health of gums and peri-implant tissues. Moreover, it helps maintain the effect of dental therapy in patients with chronic problems or during dental procedures. The synergistic selection of ingredients means that the paste helps maintain the ideal oral microflora. Additionally, Curasept Prevent paste hinders the multiplication of the most aggressive microorganisms, restores the balance of bacterial flora and improves the health of gum and periodontal tissues, while counteracting halitosis. CURASEPT PREVENT toothpaste is intended especially for: Diabetics, smokers, people suffering from metabolic diseases, with dry mouth, with weakened immunity, undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, during orthodontic and implant treatment, patients (with complex prosthetic rehabilitation) treated for periodontal problems in the maintenance phase. Contains Sorbitol, Aqua, Hydrated Silica, Xylitol, PEG-32, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, VP-VA Copolymer, Cellulose Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Hexetidine, Ozonized Olive Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Steam Extract, Colostrum, Aroma, C.l. 19140, C.i. 42090.

a) Ozonated Oil – Gradually releases ozone and creates a favorable micro-environment for maintaining the balance of oral microflora, as well as improving the health of tissues and mucous membrane.

b) Colostrum – Supports regeneration and strengthens gums and oral mucosa, thanks to the content of enzymes and proteins with a defensive effect that interact with lactoferrin and lysozyme.

c) PVP/VA – Thanks to its ability to adhere to teeth and mucous membrane, it creates a protective layer, hindering the adhesion and proliferation of bacterial plaque and delays the formation of biofilm.

d) Tea Tree Oil – Contains a natural set of substances with antioxidant action. Effectively prevents the formation of biofilm in the oral cavity.

e) Stevia – Natural sweetener with anti-caries effect. Widely used to inhibit the formation of biofilm in the oral cavity.

4. CURASEPT PREVENT – oral gel, 30 ml

Curasep Prevent is an oral gel indicated for the protection, prevention and maintenance of implants and control of risky situations related to periodontal disease. Thanks to its ability to adhere to teeth and mucous membrane, it creates a protective coating that inhibits the adhesion and proliferation of bacterial plaque and the formation of biofilm. Additionally, it improves the health of gum tissue, even in the case of comorbidities and balances the oral microflora.

Active ingredients of the gel:

a) Ozonated Oil – Gradually releases ozone and creates a favorable micro-environment for maintaining the balance of oral microflora, as well as improves the health of tissues and mucous membrane.

b) Colostrum – Supports regeneration and strengthens gums and oral mucosa, thanks to the content of enzymes and proteins with a defensive effect that interact with lactoferrin and lysozyme.

c) PVP/VA – Thanks to its ability to adhere to teeth and mucous membrane, it creates a protective layer, hindering the adhesion and proliferation of bacterial plaque and delays the formation of biofilm.

d) Tea tree oil – contains a natural set of substances with antioxidant action. Effectively prevents the formation of biofilm in the oral cavity.

e) Stevia – a natural sweetener with anti-caries action. Widely used to inhibit the formation of biofilm in the oral cavity.

Restores the balance of bacterial flora and improves the health of gum tissues, also in the case of comorbidities. Ideal for patients with implants, smokers, diabetics, with dry mouth and patients with weakened immune resistance. Prevents halitosis.

5. CURASEPT ADS 350 – office set of gels for gums with chlorhexidine 0.5%, 5 ml

The gel for gums contains chlorhexidine digluconate in a concentration of 0.5%, which is one of the best ingredients on the market in the effective fight against daily plaque. Using the gel protects the gums and interdental spaces, and also prevents infection of the oral cavity by pathogens, which may be bacteria, fungi or viruses. Additionally, the gel has a healing effect on ulcers in the oral cavity, treats gingivitis, and also combats inflammation caused by irritation of the dental prosthesis. Curasept ADS 350 gel is intended for patients after complicated extraction, after maxillofacial surgery, with post-bite trauma and mucosal damage with ulcers and aphthous stomatitis, with mucosal infections.

Contains A.D.S.® System – ANTI DISCOLORATION SYSTEM

Composition of the gel: Aqua, Propylene Glycol, Xylitol, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Ascorbic Amide. Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Metabisulphite, Aroma, Methylparaben.

The effects of the 5 compounds investigated (illustrated in fig. 3-5) were evaluated within bacterial cells using a previously established methodology (21, 47). Following the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the MIC values ranged between 0.25-2.5 μM, while the MBC values fell within the range of 1.5-2.5 (+/- 0.5) μM for analysed for four bacterials strains used as control and, Gram-negative strains and Staphylococcus, as depicted in figure 4. MIC serves as a reference for assessing the susceptibility or resistance of bacterial strains to the antibiotic applied in vitro. On the contrary, MBC represents the minimum concentration of an antibacterial agent required to eradicate bacteria, distinguishing it as bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic (34, 47). Basically, all compounds tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains show good activity against them. And all MIC values are below 1.5 μg/mL^-2 (fig. 3). Interestingly, the change in the different compounds had a vital impact on activity. However, the fluorine compounds and other active ingredients was playing a role in the activity against some bacteria, which we confirmed with the activity of compound no. 1 and 5. This means that the compounds had a good potency compared to the analysed antibiotics (fig. 6). Interestingly, all five compounds showing broad spectrum activity against both Gram negative as well as gram positive bacteria. The steric hindrance created by the bulky fluorine atom and other active ingredients might prevent proper binding and interaction with the active site residues, thereby reducing the compound’s overall efficacy. The analyzed probiotic strains were resistant to the action of pastes and gels, while the pathogenic strains were destroyed by strong cytotoxic properties damaging both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens. This indicates their selective action on red and yellow complex bacteria.

Antimicrobial agents are often classified as either bacteriostatic or bactericidal. A medicine is deemed bactericidal if the MBC-MIC ratio is low (less than 1.5), and it is feasible to achieve drug concentrations that eradicate 99.9% of the exposed organisms. Should the proportion of antibiotic be classified as bacteriostatic; nevertheless, the MBC to MIC ratio is high and it may not be safe to take doses of the medication to kill 99.9% of bacteria. The exact distinction between the bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of many substances depends on the concentration of the pathogen and the drug that is reached in the target tissue. In the case of all tested compounds 1-5, we are dealing with bactericidal agents (fig. 5).

Furthermore, as can be seen in figures 3 and 5, investigated compounds typically exhibited greater antibacterial activity than commonly used antibiotics. This is especially crucial because tested microorganism resistance to known antibiotics has evidently increased, such as cloxacillin (clox) or ciprofloxacin (cipro) (fig. 6). The rate at which microorganisms will become resistant to bleomycin (bleo) is unknown, but this will cause a major disruption in the antibiotic arsenal that is now used to treat hospital infections. Interestingly, our compounds exhibit activity comparable to that of bleomycin (bleo).

Model of analysed strains with tested compounds were statis-tical significance at p < 0.05 (tab. 1).

The effects of the 5 compounds investigated (illustrated in fig. 3-5) were evaluated within bacterial cells using a previously established methodology (21, 47). Following the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the MIC values ranged between 0.25-4.5 μM, while the MBC values fell within the range of 1-8 (+/- 0.5) μM for bacterial strains of red and yellow complexes: Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277), Treponema denticola (ATCC 35405), Tanarella forsythia (ATCC 43037), Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 10556), Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and as a probiotic strains: Bifidobacterium lactis HNO 19, Kluyveromyces marxianus fragilis B0399, Lactobactilius reuterii Prodentis, Lactobacillus salivarius SGL03.

MIC serves as a reference for assessing the susceptibility or resistance of bacterial strains to the antibiotic applied in vitro. On the contrary, MBC represents the minimum concentration of an antibacterial agent required to eradicate bacteria, distinguishing it as bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic (47). Basically, all our compounds tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains show good activity against them. And all MIC values are below 5 μg/mL^-1 (fig. 3). Interestingly, the change in the different toothpaste and gels had a vital impact on activity. The oral hygiene products containing active ingredients in their composition was playing a role in the activity against some bacteria, which we confirmed with the activity of compound no. 1 and 5. This means that the active components had a good potency compared to antibiotics (fig. 6). Interestingly, all compounds showing broad spectrum activity against both Gram negative as well as gram positive bacteria but the highest the compound no 3 and 4. Compounds 1 to 5 have greater efficacy against Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277), Treponema denticola (ATCC 35405), Tanarella forsythia (ATCC 43037), Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 10556), but showed also moderate efficacy against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) strains. Compounds No. 3 and 4 demonstrated a broad range and good action against all bacteria, as revealed confidentially with respect to the fluorine group. Furthermore, compounds with a parafluoro group in had more activity overall. The obtained results were a good and very simple and cheap training test which allowed us to estimate to what extent the types of specific diets have an influence on the formation of specific bacterial biofilms on the induction of inflammatory conditions of periodontal disease with specific bacterial biofilms. The methods described in the manuscript significantly shorten the time of detection of disease entities induced by persistent bacterial biofilms belonging to different classes. They also allow the assessment of the actual inflammation of the periodontal tissues. By specifying the type of identifier, the doctor can directly estimate what type of bacteria he is dealing with and what treatment should be administered. The obtained results suggest that the substances contained in the analysed components may also interact with red complexes of bacteria showing cariogenic activity present in the human oral cavity (11, 12). Currently, antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria is becoming more and more common, leading to super-resistance. The lack of colonization capabilities by such pathogens is the result of the lack of access to adhesins occupied by the microflora of the inhabited niche. Moreover, the sessile microflora can produce certain antagonistic compounds that interfere with the colonization of the niche by exogenous bacterial strains, e.g. hydrogen peroxide produced by S. mitis, salivaricin produced by S. salivarius streptococci (which inhibits the development of pyogenic streptococci S. pyogenes) or enocin (bacteriocin) produced by S. mutans, C. martuchotii and A. actinomycetemcomitans (which inhibits the growth of related organisms) of yellow and red complexes (36).

The observed results are especially important because of increasing resistance of bacteria to various drugs and antibiotics. All selected compounds showed super-selectivity in all analyzed bacterial strains and exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity, comparable or better than the commonly used antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, bleomycin, and cloxacillin. The bacterial flora of the oral cavity contributes to the development or aggravation of oxidative stress. As mentioned above, bacteria inhabiting the crowns of teeth breathe oxygen (Eh +200 mV) and produce carbon dioxide, which results in a decrease in the oxidative reduction potential to about +76 mV. As the bacterial plaque grows, this potential can decrease to as much as -140 mV. In the gingival crevices and pockets – in the subgingival dental plaque, the oxidative reduction potential fluctuates in the range of Eh +72 mV to -300 mV, which leads to the creation of an anaerobic environment. People with high levels of oxidative stress suffer from periodontal diseases twice as often and vice versa – periodontal diseases closely correlate with an increase in the level of oxidative stress parameters (22-26). The analyzed probiotic strains were resistant to the action of pastes and gels, while the pathogenic strains were destroyed by strong cytotoxic properties damaging both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens. This indicates their selective action on red and yellow complex bacteria.