Antibacterial effect of cardamom and black tea aqueous extract on mutans streptococci in comparison to chlorhexidine : in vitro study

Abstract EN

Background : Antimicrobial agents have been considered as having potential for the prevention of dental caries.

This study aimed to test the effect of different concentrations of cardamom and black tea extracts on the sensitivity and growth of salivary mutans streptococci in comparison to chlorhexidine gluconate (0.2 %) in vitro.

Materials and methods: In this study.

Mutans streptococci were isolated from saliva of 34 healthy people (aged between 22-40yrs).

The bacteria was isolated, purifiedand diagnosed according to morphologicalcharacteristic and biochemical tests.

Aqueous extracts of cardamom and black tea were prepared.

Different concentrations of extracts were prepared and estimated in gm / 100ml deionized water.

The agar diffusion technique was used to determine the antibacterial activity of cardamom and tea extracts in which the inhibition of bacteria growth by different concentrations of extracts was measured by diameter of inhibition zone in millimeter.

The viable count was measured in different concentrations for both types of extracts on comparison to chlorhexidine 0.2 %.

Results: The result showed that the mutans streptococci is more sensitive to tea extract than cardamom one, where the mean value of diameter of inhibition zone was higher by tea extract than cardamom type in all concentrations and chlorohexidine0.2 % is more effective than both extracts.

For viable count no statistical significant difference between two extract types at concentration of 40% but there are a high statistical significant difference for other concentrations, where the chlorhexidine is moreeffective than tea type and the last one is more effective than cardamom type with p value 0.05 .

Conclusions: Cardamom and black tea have antibacterial effect against Mutans streptococci; the accused factor of dental caries