Glucansucrase is an enzyme from Streptococcus mutans which is essential for the pathogenicity shown by it in dental caries. Glucansucrase converts sucrose molecules to glucose molecules and uses it for production of the biofilm chain. Thus the inhibition of this enzyme can prevent the long chain formation and in turn prevent biofilm formation typical in dental caries. (Ito K. et al, 2011) [54].
A variety of -glucans polysaccharides such as dextran, mutan, alternan and reuteran are synthesized by glucansucrase. The difference between these polysaccharides lie in the predominant glycosidic linkages. Dextran contains (16) glycosidic bonds, mutan consists of (13) bonds, alternan contains alternating (13) and (16) bonds and reuteran is composed