DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v27i1.1

Keywords: Antimicrobial, Herbal extract; Streptococcus mutans; Triple antibiotic paste

Abstract

Bacteria are the most common cause of pulpal and periapical infections. In particular, Streptococcus mutans is one of the pathogens responsible for early pulpal infection, eventually leading to other pulpal diseases. In endodontic treatment, therapeutic agents from medicinal plants, including Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng, Phyllanthus niruri L., and Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) were used as a natural remedy as they possess antibacterial properties. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficacy, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of three herbal leaf extracts against S. mutans. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was employed to determine the Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) of three groups of ethanolic herbal extracts, including M. koenigii (Group 1), P. niruri (Group 2), and T. cordifolia (Group 3) against S. mutans with Triple Antibiotic Paste (TAP) (Group 4) as a positive control. All the experimental groups were further evaluated for their MIC and MBC using the serial dilution method. Group 2 demonstrated a higher ZOI of 17.46 ± 4.95 mm compared to Groups 1 and 3. However, it was less than the control group (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, Group 2 exhibited bacteriostatic potential with its MIC compared to Groups 1 and 3, which demonstrated bactericidal potential. Although P. niruri presented better ZOI, the other two extracts have exhibited potential bactericidal activity against S. mutans. Hence, they could be beneficial in reducing root canal pathogens as medicaments.