Growth inhibition of Streptococcus mutans and Leuconostoc mesenteroides by sodium fluoride and ionic tin.

Sodium fluoride caused inhibition of growth rate and growth levels of Streptococcus mutans with glucose as the primary energy and carbon source. Stannous fluoride increased growth lag nad caused a much greater inhibition of growth rate than did sodium fluoride. Neither compound was found to be bactericidal when culture viability was measured after 6 days of incubation. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, which lacks a phosphotransferase system for sugar transport, showed less inhibition of growth rate with both inhibitors than did S. mutans, which possesses a phosphotransferase system. Metabolism of glucose or lactose which requires enolase activity shoed sodium fluoride inhibition, whereas metabolism of arginine or pyruvate does not involve enolase activity and showed no inhibition of growth.