Antibacterial Effect of Ginger, Green Tea and Pomegranate versus Chlorhexidine using Stevia and Sucrose Sugar

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Dentist at Ministry of Health, Egypt.

2 Professor of operative dentistry Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

3 Assistant professor of Operative Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of three natural plant extracts (Ginger, Green tea and Pomegranate peel) versus Chlorhexidine using Sucrose and Stevia Sugar. Materials and Methods: extracts of the three natural materials were prepared where an aqueous extract of green tea was prepared by boiling, and pomegranate peel and ginger were extracted using ethyl alcohol. Carious dentin samples were obtained from carious permanent molars. Streptococcus mutans were isolated and identified. The extracts were compared to chlorohexidine using either no sugar, sucrose or stevia sugar. Antibacterial activity was assessed through the inhibition zone, bacterial count and metabolic activity. Ginger, pomegranate peel, green tea extracts, and chlorohexidine were individually tested against the S. mutans. Inhibition zone test was done by the agar well diffusion method. Then, Colony forming units were counted. MIC of tested extracts was determined by a MTT micro-well dilution method. The results were statistically analyzed and the significance level was set at p ≤0.05. Results: All groups showed a significant antibacterial effect. Chlorhexidine had the highest value followed by Pomegranate peel then Ginger while Green Tea had the lowest value. Medium with Stevia Sugar had the highest antibacterial effect followed by medium without sugar while medium with Sucrose sugar had the least effect. Conclusion: Pomegranate peel, ginger, and green tea could be considered as antibacterial agents against Streptococcus mutans. Also, Stevia sugar can be considered as a non-cariogenic agent.

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