Effects of Sodium Tripolyphosphate on Oral Commensal and Pathogenic Bacteria

Polyphosphate (polyP) is a food additive with antimicrobial activity. Here we evaluated the effects of sodium tripolyphosphate (polyP3, Na₅P₃O₁₀) on four major oral bacterial species, in both single- and mixed-culture. PolyP3 inhibited three opportunistic pathogenic species: Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. On the contrary, a commensal bacterium Streptococcus gordonii was relatively less susceptible to polyP3 than the pathogens. When all bacterial species were co-cultured, polyP3 (≥ 0.09%) significantly reduced their total growth and biofilm formation, among which the three pathogenic bacteria were selectively inhibited. Collectively, polyP3 may be an alternative antibacterial agent to control oral pathogenic bacteria.