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SummaryTwenty-eight Penicillium cultures were screened for dextranase activity. Dextranase yield of about 2000 DU/ml was obtained with Penicillium funiculosum SH-5. Maximum dextranase concentration was attained only when cell mass decreased. The kinetics of the dextranase production was correlated with the cell mass by a two-parameter model. The optimum pH and temperature for dextranase were 5.0-5.5 and 55%, respectively. Crude dextranase preparation was inhibitory to insoluble glucan formation by Streptococcus mutans 6715 in vitro.

Spiramycin was tested as a chemotherapeutic plaque control agent. Sixty‐ three volunteers (29 experimental and 34 control) abstained from mechanical oral hygiene procedures for 11 weeks. The participants were divided randomly into exeperimental and control groupa and received, on a double blind basis, either 20–500 mg capsules of spiramycin or 20 capsules of placebo with directions to take 1 capsule 4 times a day for 5 days. At each examination visit intra‐oral photographs were taken, gingival and plaque indices recored, and plaque samples collected for laboratory study. In the experimental group there was a statistically significant decrease in plaque as measured by wet weight, turbidity, nitrogen, and carbogydrat parameters for at least 3 weeks. There was a significant decrease in the number of Streptococcus mutasn and S. sanguis in the plaque samples at weeks 1 and 3, but there was no detectable influence on the number of Gram‐negative organisms.

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