The effect of herbal extracts in an experimental mouthrinse on established plaque and gingivitis

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to establish in vitro the inhibiting effect of a herbal extract mixture on a selected number of micro-organisms and to test in vivo the effect of a mouthwash containing 6.3 mg/ml herbal extract mixture on plaque and gingivitis as compared to a minus active control mouthrinse. The herbal extract was a mixture of: Juniperus communis (juniper), Urtica dioca (nettle), Achillaea millefolium (yarrow); 1:1:1. In the study, in-vitro, the effect of pure herbal extract mixture on acid production of Streptococcus mutans was tested and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the following micro-organisms were tested: Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Actynomyces viscosus, Actynomyces naeslundii, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Veillonella parvula. The MIC-values for A. viscosus and P. gingivalis were 100 mg/ml. The MIC-values for A. naeslundii and A. actinomycetemcomitans were considerably lower (10 mg/ml). S. mitis was the most susceptible of the tested organisms to the extract with a MIC value of 1 mg/ml. S. mutans, C. rectus, V. parvula, and F. nucleatum were not influenced by the extracts. No inhibitory effect of the 6.3 mg/ml herbal extract mixture was observed on the acid production of S. mutans. For the study in-vivo, 45 volunteers were selected on the basis of having moderate gingival inflammation. As efficacy parameters the plaque index, modified gingival index and angulated bleeding index were assessed. The subjects were randomly divided among 3 experimental groups (2x test and 1 'minus active' control). The participants were requested to rinse with 10 ml of mouthwash twice a day for a period of three months. After 6 weeks and 3 months, the same clinical indices as at baseline were recorded. The results show no difference between the two test groups and the control group. In conclusion, the results of the present study have shown that the mixture of the 3 herbal extracts, Juniperus communis, Urtica dioca and Achillaea millefolium when used in a mouthrinse has no effect on plaque growth and gingival health.

Traditional Medicinal Plant Extracts and Natural Products with Activity against Oral Bacteria: Potential Application in the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Diseases

“…While these studies demonstrate the potential in vivo use of plant extracts in maintaining oral hygiene, a randomized controlled study of two herbal mouthrinses containing extracts of Juniper communis (Cupressaceae), Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) and Achillea millefolium (Asteraceae) using subjects with moderate gingival inflammation found no clinically measurable effect on plaque growth ( P = .325) and gingival health ( P = .723), despite the fact that in vitro tests showed weak antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens [98]. In addition, a study involving 15 participants in a Phase I trial and 17 participants in a Phase II trial of a novel mouthrinse containing essential oils and extracts from Melaleuca alternifolia , Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae), Calendula officinalis (Compositae) and Camellia sinensis showed that while the mouthrinse was generally well-tolerated and not associated with adverse events, it did not produce a statistically significant reduction in the abundance of oral pathogens [99].…”

Study on Preliminary Phytochemicals and GC-MS Analysis of Justicia adhatoda Leaves Extract

“…Traditionally medicinal plants play a greater role in the modern primary oral healthcare system of many countries. Many studies have been reported that the plants are as good as the conventional ones [2][3] . Justicia adhatoda is a wellknown Indian medicinal plant valued for their pharmacopeia.…”

Antimicrobial Effect ofAcanthopanax sessiliflorumFruit Extracts against Selected Oral Bacteria

“…Accordingly, a recent study was conducted on natural herbal materials whose safety on the human body has been verified. These herbal materials have been used for the prevention of dental caries and can be used safely without side effects while effectively removing bacteria from the oral cavity 2) . Thus, further studies need to explore and discover natural materials that can function continuously without side effects 3) .…”

“…Won-Ik Choi, et al：Antimicrobial Effect of ASF Extracts against Selected Oral Bacteria 149 from the liquid medium TSB, was inoculated on the BHI agar and spread evenly on the medium using the triangular spreader. At each concentration(1,2,4,8,16, 32, 64, 125, 250, 500, and 1,000 mg/ml), a sterilized paper disk (diameter 8 mm; Advantec, Osaka, Japan) was impregnated with 50 l of ASF extracts from each solvent, dried, and placed at appropriate intervals on the BHI agar,where each bacterial solution was spread, before it was pressed. After culturing it in the bacterium incubator at 37 medium TSB was inoculated on the BHI agar and spread evenly using the triangular spreader.…”