Safety assessment of Streptococcus salivarius M18 a probiotic for oral health

Abstract

The development of probiotics targeting non-intestinal body sites continues to generate interest amongst researchers, biotech companies and consumers alike. A key consideration for any bacterial strain to be developed into a probiotic is a robust assessment of its safety profile. Streptococcus salivarius strain M18 was originally isolated from a healthy adult and evaluated for its probiotic capabilities targeted to dental and oral health applications. This publication presents the safety characterisation of strain M18. Application of a diverse range of techniques showed that strain M18 can be specifically distinguished from other S. salivarius using a variety of molecular and phenotypic methodologies and that it lacks any relevant antibiotic resistance or virulence determinants. Direct comparison of the strain M18 safety profile with that of the prototype S. salivarius probiotic, S. salivarius strain K12, supports the proposition that strain M18 is indeed safe for probiotic application in humans.

Update of the list of QPS‐recommended microbiological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 16: suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until March 2022

“…Some strains are used as oral probiotics to limit nasopharyngeal infections, as supported by several papers in peer‐reviewed journals (Zupancic et al., 2017 ; Wilcox et al., 2019 ). Recent scientific articles focus on the safety assessment of some of the probiotic strains (Li et al., 2021 ; Hale et al., 2022 ).…”

Antimicrobial activity of candidate probiotic Streptococcus salivarius against Gram-positive bacteria in oral cavity

“…Furthermore, this bacterium plays impor-tant ecological roles that form a barrier against pathogens and reduce their adhesion and colonization 11) . Also, some strains are probiotic intended for use in the oral cavity [12][13][14] . Bacteria produce and use a substance called bacteriocin to compete for habitat between bacteria, and S. salivarius also produce bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances 15) .…”

Changes in the organs and tissues of the oral cavity in the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19): A review

“…Штамм М18 пробиотика S. salivarius можно специфически отличить от других S. salivarius с помощью различных молекулярных и фенотипических методик, у него также отсутствуют какие-либо соответствующие детерминанты устойчивости к антибиотикам или вирулентности. Прямое сравнение профиля безопасности штамма M18 с профилем безопасности пробиотика S. salivarius, штамма S. salivarius K12, подтверждает безопасность штамма M18 для применения пробиотиков у людей [93]. S. salivarius М18 аналогично S. salivarius K12 имеет GRAS-статус [93].…”

“…Прямое сравнение профиля безопасности штамма M18 с профилем безопасности пробиотика S. salivarius, штамма S. salivarius K12, подтверждает безопасность штамма M18 для применения пробиотиков у людей [93]. S. salivarius М18 аналогично S. salivarius K12 имеет GRAS-статус [93].…”

“…Эффективно колонизирует полость рта, вырабатывает саливарицины, включая саливарицин М, которые способны подавлять рост возбудителей инфекций полости рта (например, Streptococcus spp., Actinomyces spp., Porphyromonas spp., Aggregatibacter spp. ); вырабатывают ферменты, помогающие разрушить зубной налет (декстраназа) и уменьшить/снизить кислотность полости рта (уреаза) [93][94][95].…”