ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this in-vitro study was to determine the antimicrobial capacity of a Berberis vulgaris plant extract on the bacteria being associated with caries including, Streptococcus mutans, S. sobrinus, S. sanguinis, S. salivaris and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Chlorhexidine 2% (CHX) mouthwash and ampicillin (10 µg/disk) were applied as positive control groups. Inhibition zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) related to stem, leaf and fruit of B. vulgaris plant were recorded for every five bacteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 22, one-way ANOVA repeated measure and post hoc Tukey statistical test. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the antimicrobial capacity of the positive controls and the extract from the stem and fruit of B. vulgaris (p > 0.05). The MIC values of the extract from the stem were significantly lower against S. sobrinus (64 µg/ml) and L. rhamnosus (128 µg/ml). The MIC value of the extract against S. mutans was significantly lower in the fruit group (64 µg/mL). The MBC value of the extract against S. sobrinus and L. rhamnosus was significantly lower in the stem group (128 µg/ml). The MBC value against S. mutans was significantly lower in the fruit group (128 µg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that CHX and B. vulgaris plant extract have similar antimicrobial activity against bacteria being associated with caries. Therefore, B. vulgaris, which shows antibacterial capacity, could be considered for further investigation as a safe, phytotherapeutic mouthwash to prevent dental caries.
Subject(s)
Berberis , Dental Caries , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents , Chlorhexidine , Dental Caries/drug therapy , Dental Caries Susceptibility , Humans , Mouthwashes , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Streptococcus mutansABSTRACT
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Smoking affects not only smokers themselves, but also the people around them. 700 million children are exposed to second hand tobacco worldwide. One of the adverse effects of being a passive smoker is oral pigmentation. PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the association between smoking of a parent at home and oral pigmentation in children, and the characteristic factors affecting that. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this retrospective cohort study, 140 healthy children aged 4 to 10 (mean age= 6.68±1.60), 70 with smoker parent and 70 without smoker parents, were examined for oral pigmentation. Environmental factors were evaluated by asking the parents to fill a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Logistic regression, and Spearman scale. RESULTS: There was a meaningful relationship between having a smoker parent and oral pigmentation (p= 0.0001). Spearman's correlation showed parents' duration of cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes per day could meaningfully affect the severity of oral pigmentation (R=0.329). The study did not find a statistical relationship between oral pigmentation in passive smoking and gender or house area. CONCLUSION: Children exposed to secondhand tobacco are at more risk for oral pigmentation. Its severity depends on duration of cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes per day.
