Antimicrobial Effect of Leaves of Phyllanthus niruri and Solanum nigrum on Caries Causing Bacteria: An In vitro Study

Abstract

Introduction: Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus niruri are common herbs which are indigeneous to India. Solanum nigrum commonly called 'manathakkali Keerai' in Tamil, forms an indispensable part of South Indian diet. Phyllanthus niruri (keezhanelli in Tamil) is a widely used medicinal plant, the leaves of which have been used extensively in Ayurveda and native medicine to cure various liver ailments. The herbs Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus niruri have been found to be effective against numerous enteropathogens in various in vitro studies. Aim:To assess and compare the antibacterial efficacy of the crude alcoholic extract of the leaves of Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus niruri against five cariogenic organisms. Agar-Blood Agar (TSA-BA) and de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar media. The antibacterial effect of the dried and powdered leaves of Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus niruri was tested using agar well diffusion method. The zones of inhibition obtained after incubation were measured and tabulated. The antibacterial activity for the two herbs was compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Materials and Methods: Results:The antibacterial zones of inhibition obtained for the herb Solanum nigrum was in the range of 12.3-14.6 mm and ranged from 9.7-11.6 mm for the herb Phyllanthus niruri. When the zones of inhibition were compared for the herbs, Solanum nigrum showed significantly greater zones of inhibition compared to Phyllanthus niruri for the organisms Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mutans (p-value<0.05). Conclusion:The alcoholic extract of leaves of Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus niruri showed significant antibacterial activity against cariogenic organisms, with Solanum nigrum being more anti-cariogenic than Phyllanthus niruri.

Phyllanthus niruri L. (stone-breaker) as an alternative of anti-human diseases, antimicrobial agent, and its applicability to combat resistant microrganisms. A Brief Review.

“…The genera was first referred by Linnaeus, in 1737 in the book "Systema Naturae", but it was only established later by the same author in 1753, in the book "Species Plantarum" (Silva and Sales, 2004). The genus Phyllanthus (from the Greek phyllon: leaf and anthos: flower) is made up of herbs, shrubs or monoecious or dioecious trees, comprising more than 8,000 species spread over most continents (Sarin et al, 2014), being considered the most diverse and the largest genus of the Euphorbiaceae family because the diversity of vegetative and floral characteristics (Kassuya et al, 2003;Torres et al, 2003, Martins et al, 2014Falcon et al, 2019).…”

Evaluation of the ameliorative effects of Phyllanthus niruri on the deleterious insecticide imidacloprid in the vital organs of chicken embryos

“…It demonstrates therapeutic benefits and used for problems of the stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney, and spleen [1] . In Ayurveda, the Indian medicinal system, P. niruri is believed to act as a hypolipidemic, anti-lethality, antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, antidepressant, antiseptic, diuretic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and antipyretic agent; and is being used traditionally to treat diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, fevers, jaundice, ulcers, wounds, ulcers, and urogenital diseases [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] .…”

Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Pinus tropicalis and Pinus elliottii Resins and of the Diterpene Dehydroabietic Acid Against Bacteria That Cause Dental Caries

“…The oral cavity is colonized by a group of intricate microorganisms that grow as a distinct oral biofilm, the dental plaque. This tooth-adhering film causes the most common oral microbial infection known to man, the so-called dental caries (Sunitha et al, 2017).…”

“…Microorganisms like Streptococcus mutans initiate the carious lesion on the tooth. Streptococcus sanguinis , Streptococcus salivarius , Streptococcus mitis , Streptococcus sobrinus , and Lactobacillus spp., among others, are the chief cariogenic microorganisms (Sunitha et al, 2017).…”