Antimicrobial Activity of Few Medicinal Plants against Clinically Isolated Human Cariogenic Pathogens—An In Vitro Study

H Shyla Jebashree,D Devapriya,Emmanuel S Sathish,S Jayasurya Kingsley

doi:10.5402/2011/541421

Abstract

Hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and methanol extracts of Psidium guajava, Terminalia chebula, Mimusops elengi and Achyranthes aspera were tested against the dental caries causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans and fungus Candida albicans isolated from caries infected patients. All the four extracts of P. guajava showed activity against both S. mutans and C. albicans. Maximum zone of inhibition was observed in ethyl acetate of P. guajava. The four extracts of T. chebula and M. elengi showed antibacterial activity against S. mutans. M. elengi extracts and ethanol extract of T. chebula did not show any antifungal activity against C. albicans. Except for the hexane extract of A. aspera, the other three extracts showed activity against the tested microbes. The ethyl acetate P. guajava leaf extract showed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. mutans to be <0.076 mg/mL in both MHB and BHI. The P. guajava ethyl acetate extract was subjected to GC-MS.

Highlights

Dental caries is an infectious microbial disease that results in localized dissolution and destruction of the calcified tissues of the teeth [1]
Growth media used to examine the samples at microaerophilic condition are brain heart infusion blood agar + 20% sucrose (BHIBA + 20% sucrose), thioglycolate agar (TGA) and trypticase yeast extract cystine sucrose bacitracin agar (TYCS20B) [15] (Schaeken et al 1986), a medium for the selective isolation of S. mutans contained per liter of deionised water: 40 g trypticase soy agar (TSA), 5 gm Bacto agar (Difco), 10 g yeast extract, 200 g sucrose
Identification of the clinical isolates of S. mutans and C. albicans was done in collaboration with a microbiologist

Summary

Introduction

Dental caries is an infectious microbial disease that results in localized dissolution and destruction of the calcified tissues of the teeth [1]. Infection can spread from the tooth to surrounding soft tissues which may lead to an edentulous mouth [6]. Antibiotics such as penicillin and erythromycin have been reported to effectively prevent dental caries in animals and humans, but they are never used clinically because of many adverse [7]. Once the antimicrobial property of the plant extracts is screened under in vitro condition against oral pathogens, in vivo trials can be carried out for the treatment of dental caries by external application on the caries tooth or as a preventive mouth rinse

Materials and Methods

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Assay

Results and Discussion