{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T08:00:50Z","timestamp":1781164850117,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781136000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Dental caries is a chronic disease mediated by biofilm, which is caused by Streptococcus mutans, and enamel genetics modulates susceptibility. The variants of ENAM might alter the adhesion of enamel and bacteria. One important anti-viral target is sortase A (SrtA), which restricts colonization but does not have an impact on bacterial survival. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the relationship between ENAM rs3796704 and dental caries vulnerability among adult Iraqi Arab females and to assess the antibiofilm capacity of eugenol and cinnamic acid against S. mutans SrtA using molecular docking, ADMET prediction, and molecular dynamics modeling. Methods: A case\u2013control study was done on 240 women (aged 25\u201330 years; 120 caries, 120 controls). HRM real-time PCR was done to genotype ENAM rs3796704. An analysis of allelic and genotypic distributions was done using chi-square tests and odds ratios (p &lt; 0.05). An in silico docking analysis aimed at SrtA (PDB: 4TQX) was performed in AutoDock Vina, and this was followed by ADMET profiling and a 50 ns molecular dynamics simulation (OPLS4\/TIP3P, NPT 300 K\/1 atm). Results: The level of the G allele was found to be lower in the cases than in the controls (60% vs. 70; OR = 0.6429; p = 0.02), but the level of the A allele was found to be higher in the cases (40% vs. 30; OR = 1.5556; p = 0.02). Docking showed a minor difference in binding affinities with eugenol (\u22124.961 kcal\/mol) and cinnamic acid (\u22124.939 kcal\/mol) as compared with chlorhexidine (\u22124.692 kcal\/mol). Both compounds showed stable binding for more than 50 ns as well as desirable predicted pharmacokinetics. Conclusions: The caries vulnerability in this sample was associated with ENAM rs3796704. Eugenol and cinnamic acid undergo stable dissociative interactions with SrtA and were found to have favorable safety profiles in silico. Therefore, they may be considered as adjunctive anti-virulence agents in the prevention of caries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj14060360","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T06:57:17Z","timestamp":1781161037000},"page":"360","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrative Analysis of ENAM rs3796704 Polymorphism and Eugenol\u2013Cinnamic Acid Docking\/ADMET Against Biofilm-Forming Streptococcus Mutans: Genetic\u2013Phytochemical Links to Oral Dysbiosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5705-8866","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elham Hazeim","family":"Abdulkareem","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Safaa Abed Latef","family":"Al-Meani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2831-9246","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammed Mukhles","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali Hazim","family":"Abdulkareem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammed Salih","family":"Al-Janaby","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9194-719X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sameer Ahmed","family":"Awad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratories Techniques, College of Health and Medical Technology, University of Al-Maarif, Al Anbar 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6671-0417","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammed Oday","family":"Ezzat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, College of Education for Women, University of Anbar, Anbar 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saja Saadallah","family":"Abduljaleel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy, University of Al-Maarif, Al Anbar 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zaid Mustafa","family":"Khaleel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Anbar, Ramadi 31001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.4103\/IRJCM.IRJCM_43_24","article-title":"Role of Streptococcus mutants Biofilm in Dental Caries","volume":"38","author":"Mahdi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Iraqi J. 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