ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF PONGAMIA PINNATA (L) PIERRE AGAINST DENTAL CARIES PATHOGENS OF CLINICAL ORIGIN

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases in humans. Endogenous oral bacterial species play a major role in the initiation and progression of the dental caries. Effective prevention of dental caries can be achieved by mechanical plaque removal or chemical agents. All parts of plant have been used as a crude drug for the treatment of tumors, piles, skin diseases, itches, rheumatoid arthritis, wounds, ulcers, diarrhea etc. Traditionally young stems are used as tooth brush for oral hygiene. The fresh young stems were extracted by cold maceration with Ethanol. The preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out and the presence of steroids, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds were observed. The antimicrobial efficacy of stems of Pongamia pinnata was carried by agar well diffusion method at concentrations of 250 mu g, 500 mu g, 750 mu g and 1000 mu g against dental caries pathogens like Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. The diameters of zone of inhibition range from 15.33 +/- 0.57 to 28.0 +/- 1.0 mm at different concentrations. The antimicrobial activity was compared with the standards tetracycline and fluconazole. The PPEE exhibited maximum activity against S. aureus (26.0 +/- 1.0 mm) and moderate activity against E. faecalis (25.66 +/- 1.15 mm) and minimum activity against P. aeruginosa (21.66 +/- 1.52 mm). The plant also effectively inhibited C. albicans (28.0 +/- 1.0 mm). The results of the current study demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of stems of Pongamia pinnata to prevent dental caries. MIC was performed by agar dilution method and the range was found to be 31.2 mg/ml to 62.5 mg/ml.