Antibacterial Activities of Methanol and Aqueous Extracts of <i>Salvadora persica</i> against <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> Biofilms: An In Vitro Study

• Main Authors: Abdulrahman A. Balhaddad (Author), Lamia Mokeem (Author), Mary Anne S. Melo (Author), Richard L. Gregory (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/dj9120143; 2304-6767
• Keywords: dental caries; oral biofilm; <i>Salvadora persica</i>; <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>; Dentistry; RK1-715
• Source: Dentistry Journal, Vol 9, Iss 12, p 143 (2021)

The use of herbal products in oral hygiene care has a long history, and their use is popular today. A tree stick, named <i>Salvadora persica</i> (<i>S. persica</i>), is commonly used to remove dental plaque and clean teeth in many countries. In addition, extracts of <i>S. persica</i> can be used as a mouthwash, as they demonstrate antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effect of <i>S. persica</i> methanol and aqueous extracts against <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> (<i>S. mutans</i>) biofilm. A <i>S. mutans</i> biofilm formation assay was conducted using different concentrations of <i>S. persica</i> methanol or water extracts in tryptic soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 1% sucrose. The biofilm was stained with crystal violet dye, and the absorbance was assessed to examine biofilm formation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests were used to analyze the results. The <i>S. persica</i> methanol extract displayed a significant inhibition (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) against the <i>S. mutans</i> biofilm. The 10 mg/mL concentration of the <i>S. persica</i> methanol extract was determined as the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The used methanol concentration, mixed with TSB supplemented with 1% sucrose and without the <i>S. persica</i> extract, did not inhibit the <i>S. mutans</i> biofilm. The <i>S. persica</i> aqueous extract did not demonstrate any biofilm inhibition at any concentration (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05). The findings of this study suggest the potential of using <i>S. persica</i> methanol extract as a mouthwash or adjunctive to oral hygiene tools.