Antibacterial effect of lactoperoxidase and myeloperoxidase against Bacillus cereus.

An oral periodontopathic bacterium, Bacillus cereus, was inhibited both by lactoperoxidase (LP) and myeloperoxidase (MP) antimicrobial systems. With the LP-SCN--H2O2 system, the growth inhibition was directly proportional to the amount of OSCN- ions present. The OSCN-, which is the principal oxidation product of the LP (or MP)-SCN--H2O2 system at neutral pH, is a normal component of human saliva. The oxidation products of both peroxidase systems inhibited the growth of the bacteria. This inhibition was associated with reduced extracellular release of collagenase activity from the cells. With LP, the antimicrobial efficiency of the oxidizable substrates was SCN- greater than I-, and with MP, the efficiency was I- greater than Cl- greater than SCN-, respectively. LP did not oxidize Cl-.