Abstract
The use of herbal products in oral hygiene care has a long history, and their use is popular today. A tree stick, named Salvadora persica (S. persica), is commonly used to remove dental plaque and clean teeth in many countries. In addition, extracts of S. persica can be used as a mouthwash, as they demonstrate antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of S. persica methanol and aqueous extracts against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) biofilm. A S. mutans biofilm formation assay was conducted using different concentrations of S. persica methanol or water extracts in tryptic soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 1% sucrose. The biofilm was stained with crystal violet dye, and the absorbance was assessed to examine biofilm formation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests were used to analyze the results. The S. persica methanol extract displayed a significant inhibition (p ≤ 0.001) against the S. mutans biofilm. The 10 mg/mL concentration of the S. persica methanol extract was determined as the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The used methanol concentration, mixed with TSB supplemented with 1% sucrose and without the S. persica extract, did not inhibit the S. mutans biofilm. The S. persica aqueous extract did not demonstrate any biofilm inhibition at any concentration (p ≥ 0.05). The findings of this study suggest the potential of using S. persica methanol extract as a mouthwash or adjunctive to oral hygiene tools.
Highlights
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases around the world
Two microorganisms are among the key pathogens causing dental caries: Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus species [2]
The S. persica stick was ground into powder, and three grams of the miswak powder was mixed with 15 mL of either water or methanol
Summary
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases around the world It appears when demineralization factors overcome the remineralization capabilities of the saliva reservoir, resulting in mineral imbalances within the tooth surface [1]. Two microorganisms are among the key pathogens causing dental caries: Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus species [2]. These species can attach to the salivary dental pellicle formed over the tooth surface, utilizing the carbohydrate to produce lactic acid and demineralizing the tooth surface [3]. Throughout the history of humankind, herbal remedies have been used to treat many infectious diseases. The validity of these remedies was based on experience and practice, rather than experimental studies or science. Miswak is an Arabic word that refers to ‘a chewing stick’ taken from specific plants, mainly the Salvadora persica (S. persica) plant [5]
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