Bacterial and fungal strains
Ten bacterial strains and one Candida albicans strain were specifically chosen for this study. Among these, eight bacterial strains and the Candida albicans strain are considered typical inhabitants of the oral cavity. In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus is primarily associated with the skin, while Escherichia coli is commonly found within the intestinal flora. These two species,S. aureus and E. coli , were incorporated as reference strains for comparison. Within the selected strains, Streptococcus mutans DSM 20523, Streptococcus sobrinus DSM 20381,Streptococcus oralis ATCC 35037, Enterococcus faecalisATCC 29212, and S. aureus ATCC 25923 represent facultative anaerobic Gram-positive species. Notably, E. coli ATCC 25922, possessing a Gram-negative cell wall, is also facultative anaerobic. On the other hand, Porphyromonas gingivalis W381, Prevotella intermedia MSP34 (a clinical isolate), Fusobacterium nucleatumATCC 25586, and Parvimonas micra ATCC 23195 are categorized as obligate anaerobic bacteria. The sole fungal species employed, C. albicans DSM 1386, is capable of growth in both yeast and filamentous forms. All the bacterial and fungal strains were graciously provided by the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene at Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg. These microorganisms were stored at -80 °C in a basic growth medium supplemented with 15% (v/v) glycerol until their utilization in the study.