Evaluation of antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of Echinacea and Arctium extracts and Zataria essential oil

Abstract

Dental caries and oral infections have become a widespread issue in the modern world. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxicity characteristics of the extracts of Echinacea purpura, Arctium lappa, and the essential oil of Zataria multiflora as a potential herbal mouthwash. The essential oil of Z. multiflora leaves and the extracts of E. purpurea and A. lappa roots were prepared. The characterization was carried out by GC-MS and also, total phenol and flavonoid were assed for all three samples. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects were evaluated against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus salivarius, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The cytotoxic effect of the samples was evaluated on HEK 293 and HDFa cells by MTT test. Thymol and carvacrol contents in EO of Z. multiflora were measured at 31% and 42.2%, respectively. A. lappa had the lowest total phenolic and flavonoid value among the samples. On the other hand, the total phenolic content of Z. multiflora and the total flavonoid content of E. purpurea were the highest. The MIC values of Zataria, Arctium, and Echinacea against S. mutans were 0.011% v/v, 187.5 mg/ml, and 93.75 mg/ml, while MBC were 0.011% v/v, 375 mg/ml, and 187.5 mg/ml, respectively. The formulation showed bactericidal activity against S. mutans in the concentration of 5.86 mg/ml for Echinacea and Burdock extracts and 0.08 µl/ml for EO of Zataria. The formulation significantly affected microbial biofilm formation and induced biofilm degradation. The cell viability percentages were higher than 50% during 24 and 48 h. The formulation had a significant antimicrobial effect on cariogenic bacteria and C. albicans, with the lowest cytotoxic effects. Therefore, this formulation can be an appropriate candidate for mouthwash.

Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh.: A Potential Candidate as Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibitor, and Cytotoxic Agent

“…In another study, the total phenol and flavonoid contents of the ethanol extract of A. lappa roots were found to be 19.35 mg/g and 12.29 mg/g, respectively. When compared with the results of this study, the total phenol content values of the water sub-extracts, which showed the lowest content in the leaf and root, were determined as 120.01 ± 2.82 mg GAE /g extract and 89.47 ± 2.13 mg GAE /g extract , respectively; it was interpreted that they contained higher levels than the other studied species described in the literature [ 34 ].…”

The Current Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Synthetic/Herbal/Biomaterials in Dental Application

“…Because of the side effects and limited efficiency of classic chemicals in oral planktonic and biofilm eradication, the search for novel natureinspired antibiofilm methodologies continues. In this regard, the note of Hippocrates saying "nature itself is the best physician" has been updated to the importance of the plant kingdom against biofilm-related dental diseases [12][13][14]. Then, in addition to using some enzymes for degrading the protein matrices of biofilm, several naturals, herbal-based materials, or natural plant extracts have been added to some mouth rinse formulations for their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties [11,15].…”

Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Bacterial, and Anti-Fungal Activity of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins and Extracts Obtained from Lignocellulosic Agricultural Waste

“…The results showed that all the extracts inhibit the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as pathogenic fungus. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of almost all the extracts against S. aureus and E. coli is higher than the data found in the literature for well-known natural anti-bacterial extracts of Echinacea purpurea and Arctium lappa (MIC: 2.93 mg/mL, MBC: 5.86 mg/mL, for both plants), and for some of the extracts (‘Otto’ and ‘Tarmo’), the anti-fungal activity against Candida albicans is similar to the mentioned plant extracts (MIC: 5.86 mg/mL, MFC: 11.72 mg/mL, for both Echinacea purpurea and Arctium lappa ) [ 38 ]. The MIC of the extracts under study was also lower than that of garlic (MIC of hybrid garlic against S. aureus started at a concentration of 5.0 mg/mL for water extracts and at 10 mg/mL for ethanol extract) [ 39 ].…”