Context: Plant extracts are used in folklore medicine from time immemorial to treat different oral diseases. Chemical constituents extracted from these natural resources are gifted with huge opportunities.
Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the antibacterial property of Azadirachta indica (Neem), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), and Vitex negundo (Pochotia) against oral microorganisms.
Materials and methods: Plant extract was prepared with hot continuous extraction method by the Soxhlet Apparatus. Microorganisms isolated from the oral cavity and identified by Vitek-2. Bacterial inoculums poured and spread into Mueller Hinton plates. Plant extract was poured into prepared wells taking ciprofloxacillin as the positive control and dimethyl sulfoxide as the negative control. The experiment was performed in duplicates with two different concentrations of the extract and mean value of inhibition zone was calculated.
Statistical analysis: Paired t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis.
Results: Isolated microorganisms were Klebsiella oxytoca, Kochuria kristinae, Acinetobacter boumani, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptococcus gordonii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis. Higher zone of inhibition was observed against E. faecalis by V. negundo followed by A. indica. Among the aqueous and acetone group, in the aqueous group, the regression models of K. kristinae and B. subtilis have been found to be statistically significant (P= < 0.05), whereas, in the acetone group, the regression model of B. subtilis has been found to be statistically significant (P = < 0.05).
Conclusion: All the three plants showed antibacterial potency against the isolated organisms. Acetone group showed better efficacy than the aqueous extract group.
Keywords: Antibacterial; microorganism; traditional medicine.
Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Conservative Dentistry.