Remineralising potential of Ocimum basilicum varnish and fluoride varnish on initial enamel caries: An in vitro microscopic study

Abstract

Background: The focus of caries research has switched to early identification and non-invasive treatment of carious lesions. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the remineralising potential of Ocimum (O.) basilicum varnish and fluoride varnish on initial enamel caries. Method: The authenticated O. basilicum seeds were procured from a repository, and the extract was prepared using the Soxhlet method, which was vortexed with Indian Pharmaceutical (IP)-graded chemicals to obtain varnish. Extracted premolar tooth samples were divided into three groups of 33 each after demineralisation with a pH of 4.5 for 48 hours at 37°C. Each group was subjected to remineralisation twice daily with respective agents for 4 minutes for 30 consecutive days. Each sample was ground-sectioned through an enamel window. The lesion depth was measured using a light microscope (Leica™ DM2500) and ImageJ software. The data were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis. Results: The mean (± SD) pre-treatment lesion depth across the groups ranged from 242.11 ± 26.144 μm to 352.66 ± 34.531 μm. The highest lesion depth recovery rate of 45.938% was recorded for the fluoride varnish group, followed by 36.015% in the O. basilicum varnish group, which was statistically significant by Tukey’s post hoc analysis (p < 0.001). The gingival fibroblast cells were viable by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Conclusion: The O. basilicum varnish demonstrated a homogenous layer of mineral deposition. However, the remineralising efficacy was slightly lesser than that of the fluoride varnish. Hence, the novel O. basilicum-based remineralisation agent appears to have potential as a non-invasive alternative to topical fluorides in the therapy of early caries lesions.