◎國際新聞中心
Adding enzymes from seaweed microbes to toothpaste and mouthwash could provide better protection against tooth decay, a team of UK scientists have said.
英國科學家團隊說，牙膏和漱口水中加入海藻微生物的酵素，可能會更有效預防蛀牙。
Researchers at Newcastle University had been studying Bacillus licheniformis to see if it could clean ships’ hulls. But the scientists now believe it could protect the areas between teeth where plaque can gather despite brushing. Their lab tests suggest the microbe’s enzyme cuts through plaque, stripping it of bacteria that cause tooth decay.
新堡大學研究人員一直在研究腸道分離菌，觀察是否能清潔船殼。不過現在科學家相信，即便在刷了牙也可能積累牙垢的牙縫間，它也能形成保護。實驗結果顯示，微生物酵素穿透牙垢，移除造成蛀牙的細菌。
Dr Nick Jakubovics, of the university’s school of dental sciences, said: "Plaque on your teeth is made up of bacteria which join together to colonise an area in a bid to push out any potential competitors. "Traditional toothpastes work by scrubbing off the plaque containing the bacteria - but that’s not always effective - which is why people who religiously clean their teeth can still develop cavities.
新堡大學牙醫系的賈庫波維克斯博士說：「牙齒的牙垢是由細菌組成，結合起來佔據一個區域，試圖趕走可能的競爭者。傳統牙膏之所以有效，是刷掉含有細菌的牙垢，不過並非絕對有效，這就是為何固定刷牙的人還是會蛀牙。」
"We found this enzyme can remove some of these undesirable bacteria from plaque."
「我們發現這種酵素能移除牙垢中一些討厭的細菌。」
Instead of removing the plaque entirely, Dr Jakubovics believes the treatment could strip away the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay.
賈庫波維克斯博士認為，這種方法並不是完全移除牙垢，而是移除造成蛀牙的有害細菌。
新聞辭典
cut through：片語，穿透，也有「理解」的意思。例句：She always manages to cut through the complex theory.（她總是有辦法理解複雜的理論。）
colonise（colonize）動詞，把……變成殖民地，在這裡有「據地為王」的意思。例句：Peru was colonized by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. （秘魯在16世紀被西班牙殖民。）
religiously：副詞，定期地（非正式用法）。例句：He visits his mother religiously every week.（他每週定期探視母親。）
文章出處：自由時報電子報中英對照新聞
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