Kaitlyn Zakuciya; Dr. Chad Sethman PhD.; Waynesburg University Department of Biology, Waynesburg PA The Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on Streptococcus mutans Kaitlyn Zakuciya; Dr. Chad Sethman PhD.; Waynesburg University Department of Biology, Waynesburg PA Abstract Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes, also known as intense sweeteners, because they are many times sweeter than regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners do not contribute to tooth decay and cavities because bacteria found within the mouth cannot digest artificial sweeteners. Streptococcus mutans is a gram-positive bacteria species known to inhabit the human oral cavity, making up 30 to 60% of the bacteria in human teeth, tongues, cheeks, and saliva. Dental biofilms are complex, multi-species bacterial communities that colonize tooth surfaces to form plaque, a biofilm that exists on teeth, which can lead to tooth decay (cavities). S. mutans is one of the first bacteria in the mouth to adhere to a clean tooth. In the absence of S. mutans, cavity-causing plaque never forms. The purpose of our research investigation was to determine whether artificial sweeteners in the presence of nutrients would obstruct the growth of S. mutans under experimental conditions, stopping the production of biofilms. To test this, the doubling time of S. mutans was determined through its absorbency in a spectrometer. Splenda, Equal, and Sweet’N Low were the artificial sweeteners used in this experiment. Objectives To sample artificial sweeteners and their effects on oral cavity bacterial growth over time Determine the doubling time of S. mutans under conditions containing Splenda, Sweet’N Low, and Equal Methods S. mutans was obtained from Presque Isle Cultures and was hydrated using Tryptic Soy Broth. 6 culture tubes were prepared containing 2mL of Todd Hewitt Broth, 3 tubes also contained 0.001g of artificial sweetener. Tubes were placed in a 37°C water bath. The absorbency of the 6 tubes was determined every 30 minutes until a stationary period was reached. The absorbency was determined (Spec200 machine). Results Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Biology Department at Waynesburg University for funding my research and providing supplies. I would also like to thank the Center for Research and Economic Development for printing this poster. While the current data was not significantly different, S. mutans grew continuously in all trials. It was proven that the three artificial sweeteners used in this study did not obstruct bacterial growth. Tubes which contained broth and artificial sweetener resulted in more growth over time. However, the doubling time of S. mutans was found to be larger in the tubes that contained only broth and the bacteria. Based on these results, artificial sweeteners would not prevent dental plaque from forming. Therefore, further investigations of this study would include eliminating the glucose from the broth and creating separate broths, each containing a different artificial sweetener. This would allow for supplementary testing to truly determine if each artificial sweetener obstructs the growth of S. mutans. Conclusion Figure 1: Average Growth of S. mutans under normal conditions with and without Splenda. Figure 2: Average Growth of S. mutans under normal conditions with and without Sweet’N Low. Figure 3: Average Growth of S. mutans under normal conditions with and without Equal. Figure 4: Doubling Time Comparisons between all three artificial sweeteners with control groups.