Comparing the Antimicrobial efficacy of Dentifrice containing Rosmarinus officinalis and Fluoride containing Dentifrice - An In vitro study

Abstract

Background: Dental biofilm is still a concern for dental professionals, given that it has been correlated with the aetiology of oral diseases. Herbal medicine or plant derived extracts are considered to be safer and exhibits less or no adverse effects in comparison with chemically synthesized medicines. Hence, herbal medicine and their extract can be used as an adjuvant in dental disease treatment. One among the various plant extract exhibiting antimicrobial activity against oral microorganisms is Rosemarinus officinalis is an aromatic plant belonging to lamiaceae family originating from Mediterranean region. Therefore the present study was designed to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of Rosmarinus officinalis and Fluoride containing dentifrices against streptococcus aureus, Enterococcus Faecalis and Candida albicans. Materials and Method: Rosemary leaves were procured from the markets of South India and were powdered to prepare the aqueous and ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus Officinalis. Both the extracts of Rosmarinus Officinalis and Fluoride containing dentifrice were subjected to antimicrobial analysis. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using Agar well diffusion method. The diameters of the zones of inhibited growth were measured to the nearest whole millimetre. Data was entered in Microsoft excel spread sheet and analysed using SPSS software (version 23). Descriptive statistics were expressed by means of percentage. Results: The antimicrobial activity of Ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis at 100 conc. showed zone of inhibition of 20mm, 22mm, 17mm against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans respectively. Hence the Rosemary toothpaste had good antimicrobial property when compared to fluoride toothpaste. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that, rosemary containing dentifrice exhibited good antimicrobial properties when compared with fluoride dentifrice and it can be serve as an excellent replacement of several commercial available dentifrices.