Figure 3.

Bactericidal activity of synthesized peptides. (a) Cultures of S. mutans were incubated with the vehicle or CSP1 (20 μM) and spotted on 0.7% agar media on the surface of agar plates previously inoculated with S. mitis, S. oralis, or S. sanguinis. Plates were incubated under microaerophilic conditions at 37 °C for 16 h. Cultures of S. mutans were incubated with CSP1 and analogs (20 µM) and plated as described above. Cultures were spotted on agar plates inoculated with S. mitis (b), S. oralis (c), or S. sanguinis (d). Plates were incubated under microaerophilic conditions at 37 °C for 16 h. S. mutans cultures were spotted on agar plates inoculated with F. nucleatum and incubated under anaerobic conditions at 37 °C for 16 h (e). At the end of the incubations, the diameters of clear areas indicating bactericidal effects were measured. Data are reported as the mean ± SEM of at least five independent experiments, counting ten spots for each experimental group. * denotes p < 0.05 vs. CSP1.