Abstract
Objective To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of the methanolic extract of Pelargonium peltatum (geranium) against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and Streptococcus sanguinis (ATCC 10556). Methods Three extracts of P. peltatum were prepared using the leaf, stem, and root. Nine independent assays were prepared for each type of extract with chlorhexidine at 0.12% as the positive control. The agar diffusion method was performed to determine the antibacterial properties of each extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the microdilution method, and the cytotoxicity was analyzed by means of the MTT reduction test using a MDCK cell line. Results The root extract had the highest antibacterial effect with a mean result of (27.68 ± 0.97) mm and (30.80 ± 0.55) mm against S. mutans and S. sanguinis, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration for the leaf and root extracts was 250 mg/mL for S. mutans and 125 mg/mL for S. sanguinis. Cytotoxicity assays showed that both extracts had a low cytotoxicity at high concentrations. The cellular viability was highest for the root extract at 95.3% followed by the stem extract at 80.8% and finally the leaf extract with 75.4%. Conclusions These findings show the antibacterial properties of the methanolic extracts of P. pelargonium against S. mutans and S. sanguinis. These extracts were not cytotoxic at high concentrations.
Highlights
Prioritization on prevention and promotion of health in dentistry, as well as for many other medical specialties, is of great importance to reduce the risk of infection of the most prevalent diseases [1,2,3,4]
Antibacterial Effect of P. peltatum Extracts. e results obtained from this study showed that the extracts had a significant antibacterial property
The root extract had the highest antibacterial effect against S. sanguinis with a mean inhibitory zone of 30.8 mm followed by the leaf extracts with a mean value of 29.6 mm and the stem extract with 27.54 mm
Summary
Prioritization on prevention and promotion of health in dentistry, as well as for many other medical specialties, is of great importance to reduce the risk of infection of the most prevalent diseases [1,2,3,4]. In Peru, dental caries is a major oral health problem with a high prevalence in the population [5, 6]. Various treatment options have been developed and are currently used in dentistry as first-line therapies for this condition. Despite current means to diagnose and treat this condition, the prevalence of dental caries in Peru remains high. It is necessary to develop new treatment alternatives that may complement current therapies. Phytotherapy research focuses on studying the medicinal properties offered by plants and vegetables substances, to treat and improve treatment outcomes of certain diseases [13,14,15]
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