Research Projects

India, the world's second-largest sugar producer and consumer, has a sweetener market of approximately Rs.150 crores, with double-digit growth. Artificial sweeteners have altered the physiology and ecology of trillions of microbes in the human oral cavity, determining the transition between health and disease, including diabetes. However, the consumption of sugar-based products is increasingly associated with diabetes, as they were introduced to reduce caloric intake and normalize blood glucose levels without compromising the human "sweet tooth." High sugar intake correlates with the enrichment of acidogenic and acid-tolerant caries-associated species, which can lead to tooth biofilm dysbiosis in dental caries. This can lead to dangerous and sometimes lethal heart infections, such as Infective endocarditis (IE), a rare, life-threatening disease. In India, the situation is even more complex due to the double burden of "traditional" and "modern" IE. Patients with diabetes and consuming artificial sweeteners have a high risk of infections. The American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines focus on dental procedures for patients with cardiac conditions at a higher risk of experiencing morbidity and mortality resulting from IE. Understanding the identity of the microbiome and its interactions is necessary for mechanistic understanding of key players in the oral microbiota. Oral microbial strains possess collagen-binding activity, which is advantageous for binding to collagenous tissue, such as dentin. However, the variation in oral microbiota dysbiosis during high intake of artificial sweeteners and its impact on infective endocarditis with diabetes is poorly understood.