Evaluation of a protocol to extract intracellular polyaccharides from cariogenic bacteria

The metabolism of intracellular polysaccharides (IPs) contribute to the cariogenicity of the Streptococcus mutans, producing acid acids in starved dental biofilms. Currently, the method employed for IPs extraction seems to extract other polymers them the intracellular one, overestimating their quantification. Our study aims to evaluate the effect of different carbohydrate extraction protocols on their quantification, using the following conditions by dry or wet heat: a) incubation at 100 ° C, 0.5 M NaOH for 5, 10 and 15 minutes; b) incubation at 100 ° C, 1 M NaOH for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. The results suggest that the 1M NaOH protocol for 15 minutes presented the highest carbohydrate quantification. The next step will define the type of carbohydrate extracted by each protocol, a fundamental step to choose the best method. The new protocol could be a feasible approach to study acid metabolism from cariogenic biofilm.