The Antifungal and Antibacterial Effect of Citrullus Colocynthis: In Vitro Study

Abstract

Introduction: Bacteria almost exclusively cause caries and other oral and dental diseases. This study evaluated the inhibitory effect of the alcoholic extract of Citrullus colocynthis on bacteria and fungi common in oral bacteria diseases. Method and materials: The ethanol extract and essential oil of Citrullus colocynthis were obtained via water distillation. After conducting phytochemical tests, including determination of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds of the extracts, GC-MASS test and microbial tests of the extracts were conducted on S. mutans, E. coli, S. salivarius, L. acidophilus, C. albicans, and S. aureus. The cytotoxicity test was assessed by MTT assay. Results: MIC and MBC values for S. mutans, S. salivalius, and L. acidophilus were 1.56 mg/ml and 3.12 mg/ml, respectively. Moreover, Citrullus colocynthis also has an inhibitory effect on bacteria and C. albicans at these concentrations, according to the DAD test. The survival rate of cells at concentrations of 5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml was less than 50%, and at concentrations of 2.5 mg/ml and 1.25 mg/ml was less than 70% after 24 hours and 48 hours. Conclusion: According to the cytotoxicity results of this plant at concentrations of 1.56 mg/ml and 3.125 mg/ml, the ethanolic extract of C. colocynthis has inhibitory and lethal effects against pathogenic bacteria and fungi.