Figure 1.

Antioxidants’ contribution in regulation and mechanism of action of cariogenic bacteria. Response of S. mutans to oxidative stress caused by ROS produced by neutrophils, fibroblasts, and other cells of the oral cavity is accompanied by, e.g. increased response from the bacterial enzymatic systems as intracellular NADH oxidase (Nox) in the SpxA1/ SpxB/ Rex-dependent modulation, and proteins that affect cellular redox status and are involved in the regulation of S. mutans’s metabolism. Antioxidant systems of the host (e.g. salivary GSH, GSSG, TAC) and exogenous factors (e.g. diet and hygienic habits) act in addition to antioxidant systems of bacteria.