Protamine is an antimicrobial peptide extracted from fish. In this study, we loaded protamine onto dicalcium phosphate anhydride (DCPA), a dental material. Protamine was loaded by stirring DCPA into a protamine solution. To explore the antimicrobial activity of the materials, we cultivated Streptococcus mutans on fabricated discs for 24 h. When S. mutans was cultivated on the discs under no sucrose conditions, the loaded protamine was not released, and the ratio of dead bacteria increased on the surface of P (125) DCPA (half of the saturated level of protamine (125 ppm protamine) was loaded). Aside from P (500) DCPA (saturated level of protamine was loaded), some protamine was released, and the number of planktonic bacteria in the supernatant decreased. Using medium containing 1% sucrose, the release of protamine was promoted from P (125) DCPA due to lowered pH. However, lowering of the pH decreased the antimicrobial activity of protamine. On the other hand, P (500) DCPA released protamine before the pH was lowered, and biofilm formation was inhibited. The loaded protamine expressed antimicrobial activity, both on the surface of the materials and in the surrounding environment. The interaction of loaded protamine with calcium phosphates could promote the application of protamine in the dental field.
Keywords: Streptococcus mutans; antimicrobial peptide; biofilm formation; dental material; dicalcium phosphate anhydride; protamine.