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[O3-E-PM1-03] Evaluation of the anti-bacterial activity and cytotoxicity of pentacyclic triterpene ursolic acid in periodontitis

〇Yutaroh Satoh^1,2, Kazuyuki Ishihara² (1. Dept Nat Prod Chem, Okayama Univ Grad Sch Med Dent Pharm Sci, 2. Dept Microbiol, Tokyo Dent Coll)

Keywords:微生物、歯周病、創薬化学

Periodontitis not only affects masticatory function due to tooth loss but also contributes to systemic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Periodontitis is believed to be caused by dysbiosis of the subgingival microbiome, and Porphyromonas gingivalis is considered a keystone pathogen. However, therapeutic drugs that target periodontal pathogens are limited. Our previous study revealed that ursolic acid, found in bilberry fruit acetone extract, exhibits activity against P. gingivalis. Here, we evaluated the bactericidal ability of ursolic acid against P. gingivalis over time and its cytotoxicity in Ca9-22 cells during the same time period. The results showed that a 2-h treatment with 12.5 µg/mL ursolic acid completely eliminated P. gingivalis and did not elicit cytotoxicity toward Ca9-22 cells. Additionally, we performed an antimicrobial combination assay using ampicillin, erythromycin, and ofloxacin to elucidate the mechanism of action of ursolic acid against P. gingivalis. Notably, this antibiotic combination failed to eliminate P. gingivalis. In future investigation, we plan to investigate other types of pentacyclic triterpenes, namely oleanolic acid and asiatic acid, for their anti-P. gingivalis activity, elucidate the antibacterial mechanism of action of pentacyclic triterpenes, and understand whether their structural characteristics contribute to their antibacterial activity.

Collaborator: Takaaki Kubota (Okayama Univ Grad Sch Med Dent and Pharm Sci)

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest