Abstract
The study assessed the growth inhibitory effects of essential oils extracted from ten Ugandan medicinal plants (Bidens pilosa, Helichrysum odoratissimum, Vernonia amygdalina, Hoslundia opposita, Ocimum gratissimum, Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon nardus, Teclea nobilis, Zanthoxylum chalybeum, and Lantana trifolia) used traditionally in the management of oral diseases against oral pathogens. Chemical compositions of the oils were explored by GC-MS. Inhibitory effects of the oils were assessed on periodontopathic Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and cariogenic Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus using broth dilution methods at concentrations of 1%, 0.1%, and 0.01%. The most sensitive organism was A. actinomycetemcomitans. Its growth was markedly inhibited by six of the oils at all the concentrations tested. Essential oil from C. nardus exhibited the highest activity with complete growth inhibition of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis at all the three concentrations tested, the major constituents in the oil being mainly oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Most of the oils exhibited limited effects on L. acidophilus. We conclude that essential oils from the studied plants show marked growth inhibitory effects on periodontopathic A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis, moderate effects on cariogenic S. mutans, and the least effect on L. acidophilus. The present study constitutes a basis for further investigations and development of certain oils into alternative antiplaque agents.
Highlights
Dental caries (DC) and periodontal diseases (PD) are common oral conditions [1], caused by bacterial dental plaque in the oral cavity [2]
Differences in oil yields were seen in reports for the same aromatic plants species such as T. nobilis [30] and C. citratus and C. nardus [31] collected in other geographic areas in the world
The most sensitive organism was A. actinomycetemcomitans, as its growth was markedly inhibited by six of the plant oils and the chlorhexidine positive controls at all the three concentrations tested with p < 0.0001 (Figure 1(a))
Summary
Dental caries (DC) and periodontal diseases (PD) are common oral conditions [1], caused by bacterial dental plaque in the oral cavity [2] Cariogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus, as well as periodontopathic bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are associated with these oral conditions [3, 4]. Some synthetic mouth rinses, like chlorhexidine, are associated with staining of teeth [9] and others, like triclosan, have been shown to negatively affect environmental microbes and ecosystems [10]. This scenario has necessitated the search for new potential alternative antibacterial agents that can be incorporated in the mouth rinses
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