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Scientists recently have come to appreciate the importance, for human health and disease, of microbes -- often called "commensals" -- that naturally dwell in the gut.

The matcha mouthwash showed little activity against strains of commensal oral bacteria.

Microbes in the gut live in a delicate balance, and commensal bacteria provide important benefits to the body by breaking down nutrients, producing metabolites, and -- importantly -- protecting against pathogens.

Furthermore, the researchers successfully increased the proportion of commensal bacteria, which typically reside in the body, acting as a defense against harmful bacteria and boosting immunity.

"Our results, then, provide support that the commensal colonization factor complex might also function in humans to enhance the colonization of B. vulgatus," Morrow said.