Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chlorhexidine (CHX) is considered as a gold standard for its antibacterial efficacy and substantivity in chemical plaque control. However, some adverse effects are associated with its prolonged use. Herbal medicines like Achyranthes aspera and Trachyspermum ammi have been used in many clinical conditions, and they appear to be a valuable substitute next to CHX in the management of periodontal diseases. OBJECTIVE: This in vitro study was designed to assess and compare the antibacterial potential and cytotoxic effects of novel polyherbal mouthwash containing A. aspera and T. ammi with 0.2% CHX mouthwash against Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. METHODS: Ethanolic extracts of A. aspera and T. ammi were prepared by the Soxhlet apparatus method and were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. The individual plant extracts and the plant extract mixture (PEM) of A. aspera and T. ammi in the ratio of 1:1, 2:1, 1:2 (w/v) were assessed for minimum inhibitory concentration (resazurin microtitre assay) and minimum bactericidal concentration (spread plating method) against selected periodontal pathogens in comparison to CHX. The polyherbal mouthwash was assessed for zone of inhibition (well diffusion method) and cytotoxicity (MTT assay) on adult human gingival fibroblasts. All the experiments were performed in triplicate. RESULTS: The antibacterial activity was evident in the PEMs, and polyherbal mouthwash against tested periodontal pathogens and was comparable to CHX. The cytotoxicity assay findings confirmed that polyherbal mouthwash exhibited 82.1% of surviving cells which proved good biocompatibility. CONCLUSION: A. aspera and T. ammi based mouthwash possess comparable antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens when compared to CHX.