Natural Antimicrobials and Oral Microorganisms: A Systematic Review on Herbal Interventions for the Eradication of Multispecies Oral Biofilms

Abstract

Oral diseases such as caries and periodontitis are mainly caused by microbial biofilms. Antibiotic therapy has reached its limits with regard to antimicrobial resistance, and new therapeutic measures utilizing natural phytochemicals are currently a focus of research. Hence, this systematic review provides a critical presentation of the antimicrobial effects of various medicinal herbs against in vitro, ex vivo, and in situ formed multispecies oral biofilms. Searches were performed in three English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CAMbase) and the electronic archives of five German journals from the times of their establishment until October 10th, 2014, with the search terms “(plant extracts OR herbal extracts OR plant OR herb) AND (oral biofilm OR dental biofilm OR dental plaque OR oral disease OR dental disease).” The pooled data were assessed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). Initially, 1848 articles were identified, out of which 585 full-text articles were screened, 149 articles were reevaluated for eligibility and finally, 14 articles met all inclusion criteria. The data of 14 reports disclosed enhanced antiadhesive and antibiofilm activity by the plant extracts obtained from Vitis vinifera, Pinus spp., Coffea canephora, Camellia sinensis, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Galla chinensis, Caesalpinia ferrea Martius, Psidium cattleianum, representative Brazilian plants and manuka honey. Overall, a positive correlation was revealed between herb-based therapies and elimination rates of all types of multispecies oral biofilms. In that context, integrating or even replacing conventional dental therapy protocols with herbal-inspired treatments can allow effective antimicrobial control of oral biofilms and thus, dental diseases.

Antimicrobial efficacy of alternative compounds for use in oral care toward biofilms from caries‐associated bacteria in vitro

“…Although there are many studies on antimicrobial efficacy of natural compounds and essential oils toward planktonic bacteria, studies on their efficacy toward biofilms are scarce (Freires, Denny, Benso, de Alencar, & Rosalen, ; Karygianni et al., ). Here, all four essential oils tested exhibited <2 log 10 steps reduction in CFU only, when applied to initial S. mutans biofilms.…”

Klebsiella pneumoniae Planktonic and Biofilm Reduction by Different Plant Extracts: In Vitro Study

“…It is remarkable that this is a pioneering study, since it checks the antimicrobial action of P. paniculata , J. regia , and R. officinalis glycolic extracts with lack of information in the literature [6–8]. …”

“…A great number of studies tried to explain the action potential of natural extracts; however, nowadays, there are over 3000 species that have not been evaluated. Therefore, the extracts selected for this study show little or no information regarding their antimicrobial potential [6–8]. …”

Antimicrobial effect of chalepensin against Streptococcus mutans

“…The urgent need for prevention and control of oral infectious diseases, prompts the development of new alternative treatments, to which resistance has not been developed (Chinedum et al, 2005). The search for plant extracts and active compounds has demonstrated their usefulness as a source of new agents against oral infections (Karygianni et al, 2015); in fact, more than 35% of drugs used in the clinics against infections derive from plants (Choi et al, 2003). The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of chalepensin from Ruta chalepensis against S. mutans.…”