Inhibitory Effect of Essential Oil Against Oral Pathogens

Oral diseases are reflectedas the most common noncommunicable diseases and are associated with serious local and systemic disorders. Oral pathogens can grow and spread in the oral mucosae and frequently in biomaterials leading to several disorders such as dental caries and periodontal disease. However essential oils have shown interest in medicine because of their antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. Methodology: Lavendula officianalis, Mentha piperita, Syzygium aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume and Salvia officinalis essential oils were investigated against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans. Essential oils with high inhibition zone during bioassay method were further investigated using microdilution essay to investigate the minimum inhibition concentration. Essential oils at their minimum inhibition concentration were further tested for morphological changes using scanning electron microscope. Results: Salvia officinalis and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oils out of five selected essential oils exhibited great inhibition diameters. Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil had MIC of 10 μg/mlfor treated S. aureus, 20 μg/ml for treated E. coli and showed 5μg/ml for S. mutans cells treated by Salvia officinalis essential oil. The SEM results have shown drastic morphological alterations when treated with Salvia officinalis and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil at their minimum inhibition concentrations. Conclusion: Salvia officinalis and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil have revealed promising results for the treatment oral pathogens as discussed here.