Evaluation of the Antibacterial Potential of Traditional Medicinal Plants against Bacteria Isolated from Dental Caries

Dental caries are one of the leading infectious microbial diseases globally. Streptococcus species are the predominant causative agents for the formation of dental caries. Various antibiotics have been reported for the treatment of dental caries in humans. However, owing to the increasing evidence of microbial resistance, there is a need to develop safe and effective alternative treatments for infections. Traditional medicinal plants and their bioactive products have been explored worldwide for the treatment of various diseases and infections. These plants have great potential for creating novel medications without any side effects. The present study aimed to elucidate the antibacterial potential of medicinal plants against biofilm-forming bacteria from dental caries. Bacteria from dental caries were isolated and identified using 16S rRNA sequencing technique and the predominant bacterial isolates were Streptococcus mutans (MH889143), Enterococcus faecalis (MH793461), Rothia dentocariosa (MH824681), and Streptococcus anginosus (MH889145). The antibacterial potential of seventeen medicinal plants was determined against these bacterial isolates using the agar well diffusion method. The aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus racemosa, Ficus religiosa, Senegalia catechu, Pistacia integerrima, and Quercus infectoria showed significant inhibition against all bacterial isolates. Pistacia integerrima and Quercus infectoria showed the maximum inhibition. The present study confirmed that traditional medicinal plants could be helpful for the treatment of oral and dental ailments.