ISSN 0974-3618
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Essential oils in prevention of Dental
Caries - An In-Vitro study
S. Subasree1*, Geetha R. V.2
1BDS Student,
Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai.
2Faculty of
Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai.
*Corresponding Author E-mail: 895.sreema@gmail.com
ABSTRACT:
Since the middle ages, essential oils have been
widely used for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical, insecticidal,
medicinal and cosmetic applications, especially nowadays in pharmaceutical,
sanitary, cosmetic, and agricultural and food industries. Because of the mode
of extraction, mostly by distillation from aromatic plants, they contain a
variety of volatile molecules such as terpenes and terpenoids, phenol-derived
aromatic components and aliphatic components. So the aim of the present study was to
evaluate the role of essential oils Wintergreen and Rosemary oil in
prevention of dental caries worldwide. Their curative effect has been
known since antiquity. It is based on a variety of pharmacological properties
which are specific for each plant species. Antibacterial
activity of the two essential oils, Wintergreen and Rosemary oil were
screened against Streptococcus mutans, using disc diffusion technique. The results of this
study showed that the extracts at different concentrations exhibited anti
bacterial activity against the bacterial species tested.
KEY WORDS: Essential oils, wintergreen oil, rosemary oil, dental caries, Streptococcus mutans.
INTRODUCTION:
Dental caries is an infectious
microbiologic disease of the teeth that causes localised dissolution and
destruction of calcified tissues. The bacteria most responsible for dental
cavities are Streptococcus mutans,
and lactobacilli [1]. Natural remedies obtained by using essential oils are
preferred in treating caries. So the aim of this study to check the
antibacterial activity of the essential oils on bacterial that initiates dental
caries. Essential oils can be used as an alternative for conventional
medications. They typically have widespread availability, fewer side effects,
and safer to use over time.
Essential oils
are aromatic oily liquids obtained from plant materials (buds, flowers, barks,
seeds, leaves, twigs, wood, herbs, fruits and roots). An estimated 3000
essential oils are known to us, out of which 300 are commercially
important in fragrance market [2].
Chemically,
they are derived from terpenes and their oxygenated compounds. Each of them
contributes to the beneficial effects of these oils [3]. Essential oils have
been shown to possess antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal and antioxidant
properties. Some oils have also been used in cancer treatment. They have been
used as food preservatives, for aroma therapy and in the fragrance industry. They
are a rich source of biologically active compounds [3,4]. The spread of
drug-resistant pathogens is one of the most serious threats to successful
treatment of microbial diseases. Down the ages, essential oils and other
extracts of plants have evoked interest as sources of natural products. They
have been screened for their potential use as alternative remedies for the
treatment of many infectious diseases [5].
Wintergreen oil
is extracted from a shrubby evergreen plant called Gaultheria
procumbens, which is from the Ericaceae plant family [6]. It is native to
North America, mainly in Northeast United States and Canada and is characterized by its long stem, oval and
glossy green leaves, and white blooms, which turn into handsome and edible
bright red berries that birds and other wildlife feed on. The leaves of the
plant are used to make the oil. Wintergreen oil is mostly made up of methyl
salicylate (85 to 99 percent), which accounts for almost all the healing and
health-promoting properties of this essential oil [7]. It also contains 3, 7
guaiadiene, a-pinene, myrcene, delta 3-carene, limonene, and delta-cadinene
[8]. It is said to have analgesic, antirheumatic and antiarthritic,
antispasmodic, antiseptic, aromatic, and astringent properties [9-11]. The most
popular health benefit of wintergreen oil is its pain-relieving effects, which
can help alleviate headache, muscle cramps, joint pain, tendonitis, and bone
pain. Wintergreen oil also helps drive out stress and tension [7]. Other
benefits include relief for rheumatism and arthritis [7], prevents infections
caused by bacteria (such as staphylococcus aureus), Protozoa and fungi. However
it is not advisable to take the oil orally to fight infections in the internal
organs, nor is it recommended to be used on open wounds.
Rosemary oil is
extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis
(also known as Rosmarinus coronarium)
of the Labiatae family [12]. It is native to the Mediterranean and Asia, but is
reasonably hardy in cool climates. It can with stand droughts, surviving a
severe lack of water for lengthy periods. This oil is extracted from the fresh
flowering tops by steam distillation. It yields 1.0 - 2.0 % [13]. The main
chemical components of rosemary oil are a-pinene, borneol, b-pinene, camphor,
bornyl acetate, camphene, 1, 8-cineole and limonene [14]. Rosemary oil has
therapeutic potential in treatment or prevention of bronchial asthma,
spasmogenic disorders, peptic ulcer, inflammatory diseases, hepatotoxicity,
atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease, cataract, cancer and poor sperm
motility [15-17].
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, wintergreen and rose mary were loaded on sterile filter paper discs
measuring 6mm diameter in the following concentrations 50µl, 100µl, 200µl,
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 [18, 19] 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 Wintergreen oil
was more effective against Streptococcus mutans with a zone
of inhibition of 24 mm
diameter (at conc 200 µl.), rosemary oil showed a zone of 20mm diameter. 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 results obtained from our study shows that the
two essential oils have got a very good antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans.
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. Thus, the study ascertains the value of
plants and their products used in Ayurveda which could be of considerable
interest in the development of new drugs
Table 1:
Anti bacterial activity of Wintergreen and
Rosemary oil on Streptococcus mutans
|
Organism
|
Conc µl
|
E1
[Zone of inhibition in mm diameter]
|
E2
[Zone of inhibition in mm diameter]
|
Chlorhexidine [Zone of inhibition in mm
diameter]
|
|
Streptococcus mutans
|
50
|
16
|
09
|
22
|
|
100
|
19
|
14
|
30
|
|
200
|
24
|
20
|
38
|
E 1 –
Wintergreen oil, E 2 – Rosemary oil
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