In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of various plant extracts and their effects on tooth enamel

In Vitro Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Activity Of Various Plant Extracts And Their Effects On Tooth Enamel Aim: Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against cariogenic microorganisms and their effects on primary tooth enamel. Material and Method: 150 tooth specimens were divided into 5 groups as Stevia rebaudiana, Anzer thyme, Helichrysum arenarium, CHX and distilled water. Six subgroups (n = 5) were defined for the concentration (MBC and >MBC) and biofilm (monomicrobial and polymicrobial) applied to each plant group. The efficiencies of the extracted plants were examined by the agar well diffusion method. MIC and MBC tests were performed. After 5 and 1 day experimental protocols were applied to the monomicrobial and polymicrobial biofilm layers formed on the tooth surfaces, respectively, the number of bacteria was calculated. A randomly selected tooth from each group was examined with SEM-EDS. Results: It was observed that CHX prepared at MBC and >MBC in monomicrobial biofilm was effective on S. mutans (p<0.05). In the polymicrobial (S. mutans, S. wiggsiae) biofilm group, less S. wiggsiae were detected in the Stevia rebaudiana, Anzer thyme and CHX groups compared to distilled water for MBC value (p<0.05). In the polymicrobial (S. mutans, L. acidophilus, S. wiggsiae) biofilm group, it was observed that CHX contained less S. mutans than Stevia rebaudiana at MBC (p<0.05). In polymicrobial (S. mutans, L. acidophilus, S. wiggsiae) biofilm, more L. acidophilus was observed in Anzer thyme at >MBC than in distilled water (p<0.05). At the end of the experiment, it was determined that distilled water contained a lower proportion of Ca (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was observed that Anzer thyme, Helichrysum arenarium and Stevia rebaudiana extracts had effects against cariogenic bacteria. Key Words: Antimicrobial activity, tooth decay, cariogenic microorganism, SEM, medicinal plant.