Assessment of the Antibacterial Activity of Spilanthes acmella Against Bacteria Associated with Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease: An In-vitro Microbiological Study

Abstract

Dental caries and periodontal disease are two of the most common oral diseases caused by bacterial infections. Traditional medicine in India has a long history of using plant extracts for dental care. Spilanthes acmella (S. acmella), also known as the “Toothache Plant,” is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used for its medicinal properties but has not been extensively studied for its applicability and use in dentistry. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial action of S. acmella ethanol extract on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), and Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum), which causes dental caries, and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Capnocytophaga gingivalis (C. gingivalis), which causes periodontal infection. The ethanol extract of S. acmella in various dilutions of 10mg/ml, 20mg/ml, 40mg/ml, 80mg/ml, and 100mg/ml was tested for its antibacterial activity against the bacteria as mentioned above using the agar well diffusion method. Erythromycin 0.125mg/ml was used as a positive control, whereas distilled water was used as a negative control. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by the broth dilution method. The results of this study have shown that the ethanol extract of S. acmella demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of bacterial growth (13-16mm diameter), with the highest concentration of 100mg/ml showing the strongest effect. The findings of this study support the use of the S. acmella plant extract in the treatment of dental caries and periodontal infection and suggest that it may be a viable alternative to traditional antimicrobial agents.