The natural compound eugenol used in the present study was
found to act by reducing the total mass of causative microorganisms
without affecting the viability of the oral bacteria,
thereby decimating the development of resistant strains or
secondary infections. The various attributes of eugenol have been
described previously [16,17]. The ability to synthesise glucans
using GTFs is essential for the adherence, cohesion and accumulation
of S. mutans on the tooth surface and provides bulk and
structural integrity to the biofilms matrix [3]. Therefore, suppression
of adherence, the initial step in caries formation by S. mutans,
could be prophylactic against the spread of its virulence [18].
Supplementary Fig. S2 shows that eugenol significantly reduced
the adhesion of S. mutans compared with the control.