Ocimum americanum l. Essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity against oral bacteria related to periodontal disease

Abstract

© (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial property of essential oil extracted from the leaves of Ocimum americanum against oral bacteria related to periodontal disease. Three species of periodontal pathogens including Porphyromonas gingivalis W50, Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611 and Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586 were included in the study. Agar diffusion was performed initially to screen the antimicrobial activity of O. americanum essential oil. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were then determined using the Millipore Membrane method. The result showed that in the agar diffusion, essential oil extracted from Ocimum americanum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all test bacteria with the zone of inhibition ranging from 24 to 30 mm. The MIC values against P. gingivalis and P. intermedia were 0.35 mg/mL whereas that of F. nucleatum was 0.70 mg/mL. The MBC values against P. gingivalis and P. intermedia were 0.70 mg/mL whereas that of F. nucleatum was 1.4 mg/mL. In conclusion, O. americanum essential oil has an antimicrobial activity which may be a beneficial component of oral health care products to control or prevent periodontal disease by reducing these bacteria in the oral cavity.