Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology Volume 2011, Article ID 135034, 10 pages doi:10.1155/2011/135034 Research Article The Effects of Fractions from Shiitake Mushroom on Composition and Cariogenicity of Dental Plaque Microcosms in an In Vitro Caries Model Egija Zaura, 1 Mark J. Buijs, 1 Michel A. Hoogenkamp, 1 Lena Ciric, 2 Adele Papetti, 3 Caterina Signoretto, 4 Monica Stauder, 5 Peter Lingstr¨ om, 6 Jonathan Pratten, 2 David A. Spratt, 2 and Michael Wilson 2 1 Department of Preventive Dentistry, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2 Department of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK 3 Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy 4 Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy 5 DIPTERIS, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy 6 Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 450, 405 30 G¨ oteborg, Sweden Correspondence should be addressed to Egija Zaura, e.zaura@acta.nl Received 14 June 2011; Accepted 14 July 2011 Academic Editor: Itzhak Ofek Copyright © 2011 Egija Zaura et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The aim of the current study was to investigate the anticariogenic potential of the (sub)fractions obtained from the edible mushroom shiitake (Lentinula edodes) in in vitro caries model. We used a modified constant depth film fermentor (CDFF) with pooled saliva as the inoculum and bovine dentin as a substratum. The test compounds were low molecular weight fraction (MLMW) of the shiitake extract and subfractions 4 and 5 (SF4 and SF5) of this fraction. Chlorhexidine (CHX) and water served as a positive and a negative control, respectively. Dentin mineral loss was quantified (TMR), microbial shifts within the microcosms were determined (qPCR), and the acidogenicity of the microcosms was assessed (CIA). From the compounds tested, the SF4 of shiitake showed strong inhibiting effect on dentin demineralization and induced microbial shifts that could be associated with oral health. The acid producing potential was increased, suggesting uncoupling of the glycolysis of the microbiota by the exposure to SF4. In conclusion, the results suggest that SF4 of shiitake has an anticariogenic potential. 1. Introduction Over the past decade, there has been an increasing number of food alerts creating a genuine crisis of confidence among consumers. Research on food safety and quality must therefore be a priority. To improve our understanding of the link between food and oral health, an international EU sixth framework program consortium project (NUTRIDENT, FOOD-CT-2006-36210) was granted with an overall aim to identify beverage/food constituents that are able to reduce the risk of two major dental diseases, caries and gingivitis. Within the NUTRIDENT project, we have used the existing literature as a starting point for selecting foods or beverages that may contain such constituents. We have then built upon this knowledge by testing such materials for a range of biological activities that are relevant to the maintenance of oral health, that is, the prevention of caries and gingivitis. A number of high-throughput assays were designed and employed [1]. As a result of this work, we iden- tified a low molecular mass extract (<5,000 Da) of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) which has biological activities which, if displayed in vivo, could protect against dental caries. The most prominent observed biological activities of this extract, relevant to caries prevention, were (1) induction of the detachment of cariogenic microorganisms from hydroxyapatite, (2) changed cell surface hydrophobicity, (3)