Antibacterial activity of Methanol and Chloroform extracts of &lt;i&gt;Spilanthes oleracea&lt;/i&gt; plant on isolated pathogenic oral bacteria

O Onoriode,E.O Oshomoh

doi:10.4314/jasem.v22i2.15

Abstract

Dental caries is an infectious and transmissible disease caused by the colonization of tooth surfaces by normal oral flora, including Streptococcus and Lactobacillus species. Routine use of broad spectrum antibiotics in the treatment of dental caries including postoperative prophylactic use, has led to widespread bacteria resistance to antibiotics, a situation that currently pose a global threat to public health. Spilanthes oleracea, popularly known as the toothache plant, is widely used for the treatment of toothache, sore throat and gum infections. Although a large number of antimicrobial effects have been reported against gram positive and gram negative species, only a small number of S.oleracea have been studied for biochemical activity. The crude extracts of S. oleracea showed very potent antimicrobial activity against a population of isolated pathogenic oral organisms. 20mg/ml each of crude methanol and dichloromethane extracts of S. oleracea leaves produced average zones of inhibition ranging between 21mm and 29mm (in diameter) against isolated Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species, while 20mg/ml of crude methanol extracts of S. oleracea flowers produced average zones of inhibition of 28mm and 25mm (in diameter) against S. mutans and Lactobacillus species respectively. Findings indicate that polar and non-polar extracts of S. oleracea could potentially function as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics in the treatment of oral infections and dental caries.Keywords: Cariogenic, dental caries, antimicrobial, pharmacological activities

Highlights

Dental caries is the most common infectious disease of humans, caused by Lactobacillus acidophilus and a group of Streptococcus species collectively referred to as Streptococcus viridans, of which S. mutans and S. sobrinus are the most important agents of human caries. (Balakrishnan et al, 2000)
Deepak and colleagues carried out antibiotic susceptibility tests on a group of pathogenic bacteria species isolated from carious lesions in dental patients and observed 48% resistant to Penicillin V; 60% resistance to Erythromycin, 66% resistance to Tetracycline; 78% resistance to Cloxacillin and 90% resistance to Amoxicillin
The gravity of the problem of antibiotic resistance was highlighted by the World Health Organization, when it warned that antibiotics resistance poses a ‘global threat’ to public health

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries is the most common infectious disease of humans, caused by Lactobacillus acidophilus and a group of Streptococcus species collectively referred to as Streptococcus viridans, of which S. mutans and S. sobrinus are the most important agents of human caries. (Balakrishnan et al, 2000). Deepak and colleagues carried out antibiotic susceptibility tests on a group of pathogenic bacteria species isolated from carious lesions in dental patients and observed 48% resistant to Penicillin V; 60% resistance to Erythromycin, 66% resistance to Tetracycline; 78% resistance to Cloxacillin and 90% resistance to Amoxicillin. Antibiotic combinations such as Penicillin V/Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin/Erythromycin were observed to reduce antibiotic resistance to 26% and 30% respectively. Despite biochemical tests including gram staining, catalase the wide array of pharmacological effects that have tests, coagulase tests, oxidase tests, citrate tests, and been reported, only a small number of Spilanthes hemolytic assays were done to identify isolated pure species have been studied for biochemical activity. cultures

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