Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Antimicrobial Activity of the Kalanchoe pinnata and Piper longum Formulation Against Oral Pathogens.

Abstract

Background Dental caries stands out as a significant global infectious disease, with oral diseases posing substantial health concerns primarily due to bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections. Kalanchoe pinnata demonstrates antimicrobial, anticancer, antiparasitic, and hepatoprotective properties, with applications in various ailments. Piper longum exhibits potent antimicrobial effects against bacterial and viral pathogens due to the bioactive compounds within the plant. This study aims to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of P. longum and K. pinnata formulation against oral pathogens and evaluate its other biomedical potential. Methodology The agar well diffusion method was employed to assess the antimicrobial activity of the formulation containing P. longum and K. pinnata against oral pathogens. The protein leakage assay was employed to assess the ability of the prepared formulation to cause protein release from oral pathogens. The other biomedical potentials of the prepared formulation including cytotoxic effects, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties were investigated using in vitro assays. Results The prepared P. longum and K. pinnata formulation demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against tested oral pathogens, with inhibition zones observed for Staphylococcus aureus (32 mm), Streptococcus mutans (22 mm), and Candida albicans (12 mm). However, no inhibition was observed on Enterococcus faecalis at the highest concentration of 100 μL. Additionally, the formulation demonstrated significant antioxidant activity with percentages of 89.22%, 84.4%, and 86.93% in2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and ferric (Fe3+)-reducing antioxidant power assays, respectively, at the maximum concentration of 50 μL. Furthermore, the formulation exhibited potential anti-inflammatory activity, as evidenced by 79% inhibition in bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation assay and 77% inhibition in egg albumin (EA) denaturation assay at the highest concentration of 50 μL. Additionally, the formulation displayed low cytotoxic effects, even at the highest concentration of 80 μL. Conclusion K. pinnataandP. longumformulation demonstrated potential antimicrobial efficacy against oral pathogens and exhibited diverse therapeutic potentials. Thus, the developed formulation could be used as a potential alternative for pharmaceutical drugs against oral pathogens.