INTRODUCTION:

Dental caries (tooth decay) is a major oral health problem in most industrialised countries, affecting 60–90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults. It is essentially a disease caused by accumulation of acid-producing endogenous bacteria (primarily a species called Mutans Streptococci, MS) on non-shedding tooth surface. In vitro studies suggest that a variety of botanicals commonly used in traditional Asian medicine have the potential for use as agents for prevention of caries and periodontal diseases.[1] Herbal extracts and essential oils have been successfully used in dentistry as tooth cleaning and antimicrobial plaque agents. The natural phytochemicals could offer an effective alternative to antibiotics and represent a promising approach in prevention and therapeutic strategies for dental caries and other oral infections.[5]In the present study, antibacterial activity of some essential oils like cinnamon oil, clove oil and rosemary oil have been tested against Streptococcus mutans.[6] The existing data are encouraging, and warrant further studies on traditional Asian medicine and their application to oral health.

Cinnamon, which has the scientific name Cinnamomum zeylanicum, originated in tropical Asia, and was particularly widely used in Sri Lanka and India. Now, the shrub is grown in almost every tropical region of the world.

The herb, owing to its vast medicinal uses, has found a prominent position in traditional medicines, especially in Ayurveda, which is the traditional Indian medicinal system.[2] Traditionally, cinnamon has been used in many cultures for treating a variety of health disorders including diarrhea, arthritis, menstrual cramps, heavy menstruation, yeast infections, colds, flu, and digestive problems.

Oil Oil of cloves, also known as clove oil, is an essential oil extracted from the clove plant, Syzygium aromaticum. Clove oil is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic, used primarily in dentistry for its main ingredient eugenol.[3] The health benefits of clove oil can be attributed to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac and stimulating properties. The oil is used for treating a variety of health disorders including toothaches, indigestion, cough, asthma, headache, stress and blood impurities. The most important and common use of clove oil is in dental care. Several toothpastes, mouth wash and oral care medications contain clove oil as an important ingredient.[7]

The most prominent use of clove oil is in dental care. The germicidal properties of the oil make it very effective for relieving dental pain, tooth ache, sore gums and mouth ulcers. Clove oil contains the compound eugenol, which has been used in dentistry for many years. Gargling with diluted clove oil helps in easing throat pain and irritation. [8]The characteristic smell of clove oil also helps to eliminate bad breath. Clove oil is added to numerous dental products and medications, including mouthwash and tooth paste. Dentists also mix clove oil with zinc oxide to prepare a white, filling material as a temporary alternative to a root canal. [9]

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs.[4]

Rosemary oil is used for purposes of fragrant bodily perfumes or to emit an aroma into a room. It is also burnt as incense, and used in shampoos and cleaning products.Rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds- these are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation[10]. Laboratory studies have shown rosemary to be rich in antioxidants, which play an important role in neutralizing harmful particles called free radicals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Test microorganisms:

Bacterial strain used was Streptococcus mutans. The organism was isolated using selective media Mutans -Sanguis agar [ Hi media M977], and maintained in nutrient agar slope at 4°C in department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College.

Methodology:

The essential oils, cinnamon, clove and rose mary were loaded on sterile filter paper discs measuring 6mm diameter in the following concentrations 50µl, 100µl and 200 µl respectively. The discs were dried and kept aseptically.

Screening of antibacterial activity [Disc diffusion technique]:

Broth culture of the bacterial strain compared to Mac Farland’s standard ^[4,5,6]0.5 was prepared. Lawn culture of the test organisms were made on the Muller Hinton agar [MHA-Hi media M1084] plates using sterile cotton swab and the plates were dried for 15 minutes. Filter paper discs loaded with different concentrations of the essential oils were placed on the respective plates. The plates were incubated at 37°C overnight and the zone of inhibition of growth was measured in millimeters.. All the tests were done in triplicate to minimize the test error.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

The antibacterial activity of the essential oils at different concentrations was screened by disc diffusion technique and the zone of inhibition was measured in mm diameter. The results are given in the table 1. The cinnamon oil was more effective against Streptococcus mutans with a zone of inhibition of 24mm diameter (at conc200 µl.), clove oil showed a zone of 20mm diameter and with rosemary oil the zone diameter was 16mm. Dental caries is a microbial disease that result in the destruction of mineralized tissue of the teeth. Streptococcus mutans is the potent initiator and leading cause of dental caries worldwide .It is considered to be the most cariogenic of all of the oral Streptococci. The present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of tree tea oil on caries causing organisms. The results obtained from our study shows that the three essential oils have got a very good antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans.

Table 1: Anti bacterial activity of tree tea oil

Organism	Conc µl	E1	E2	E3	Chlorhexidine
Strptococcus mutans	50	16	10	09	22
	100	19	14	11	30
	200	24	20	16	38

E 1 – Cinnamon oil, E 2 – Clove oil, E3 – Rose mary oil

CONCLUSION:

Herbs, which are powerful healing agents, must be used appropriately. Herbs contain active ingredients that may interact negatively with prescribed medications or other remedies. It is wise, therefore, to consult a health-care professional in situations in which you question the appropriateness of the herb or its interaction with other remedies. . The use of herbs in dentistry should be based on evidence of effectiveness and safety. The anti-bacterial activities could be enhanced if active components are purified and adequate dosage determined for proper administration. The present results therefore offer a scientific basis for traditional use of cinnamon, clove and rosemary oil on oral pathogens

REFERENCES

1. Hardie JM (May 1982). "The microbiology of dental caries". Dent Update 9 (4): 199–200, 202–4, 206–8

2. Cheilitis caused by cinnamon (cassia) oil in tooth paste James L. Laubach; Frederick D. Malkinson, MC; Edward J. Ringrose, M.D.

3. Microbicide activity of clove essential oil (Eugenia caryophyllata) L. Nuñez^*; M. D' Aquino, Hygiene, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

4. Use of essential oils to reduce anxiety in the dental office By Tawnya Bobst, RDH, BS

5. Enzo A. Palombo., Traditional Medicinal Plant Extracts and Natural Products with Activity against Oral Bacteria: Potential Application in the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Diseases. Review article. Evidence – Based complementary and Alternative Medicine Vol 2011,Article ID680354,15 pages

6. Chaudhari LK, Jawale BA, Sharma S, Sharma H, Kumar CD, Kulkarni PA., Antimicrobial activity of commercially available essential oils against Streptococcus mutans. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2012 Jan 1;13(1):71-4.

7. Collins, CH and Lyne, P.M 1976.Microbiological methods, London, Butterworths and co.288p

8. Betty A. Forbes., Daniel F.Sahm., Alice S.Weissfeld. Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology 11^th edition Mosby page 229 – 257

9. Connie R. Mahon., George Manuselis., Saunder’s Diagnostic Microbiology 2^nd Ed

10. cheilitis caused by cinnamon (cassia) oil in tooth paste James L. Laubach; Frederick D. Malkinson, MC; Edward J. Ringrose, M.D.

Received on 16.07.2014 Modified on 05.08.2014

Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 7(10): Oct. 2014 Page 1128-1129