To destroy the integrity of the cell wall and to inhibit bacterial
adhesion instead of killing the bacteria are two different
mechanisms of anticaries action of natural antimicrobial agents.
TEM results revealed that S. mutans exposed to CHX showed
complete destruction of the peptidoglycan layer and leakage of the intracellular contents (necrosis) compared with the control group
(Fig. 3c). However, exposure to eugenol resulted in partial
destruction of the peptidoglycan layer. This indicates the ability
of eugenol to inhibit virulence attributes without affecting
bacterial viability. A similar result was also reported for kuwanon
G from Morus alba