Antimalarial Drugs and Reduced Incidence of Dental Plaque

¹ Department of Biology, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC, 20012, USA; Health Services Command, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas 78234; and Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, California 94129

Known antimalarial compounds from several chemical classes were tested for their ability to inhibit in vitro growth of microorganisms causing dental plaque and to prevent the development of plaque in a hamster model. Approximately a third of the compounds tested inhibited in vitro growth; however, none prevented development of plaque.