Unleashing nature's defense: potent antimicrobial power of plant extracts against oral pathogens and Streptococcus mutans biofilms.

OBJECTIVES

The increasing demand for alternatives to antibiotics against resistant bacteria has led to research on natural products. The aim of this study was to analyze the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of 16 Mediterranean herb extracts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The extracts were analyzed using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of the extracts from , ssp. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and were determined against eight oral bacteria and fungus . Microtiter plate test was conducted to evaluate the antibiofilm activity against .

RESULTS

Overall, all tested extracts efficiently suppressed the growth of obligate anaerobic bacteria. When applied at concentrations ≥0.15 mg/ml, the extracts exhibited moderate to high antibiofilm activity comparable to that of chlorhexidine (CHX) against . Interestingly, (MIC: 0.01-0.06 mg/ml) and (MIC: 0.04-1.25 mg/ml) demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against oral bacteria. Additionally, and significantly inhibited biofilm formation at 0.15 mg/ml.

CONCLUSIONS

The tested plant extracts can be considered as alternative natural antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Mediterranean herb extracts show promise as natural alternatives to combat oral bacteria and biofilm formation, offering potential new therapies for infectious oral diseases in the context of antibiotic resistance.