Antibacterial activity of medicinal plant extracts against periodontopathic bacteria

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study was performed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of <jats:italic>Althaea officinalis</jats:italic> L. roots, <jats:italic>Arnica montana</jats:italic> L. flowers, <jats:italic>Calendula officinalis</jats:italic> L. flowers, <jats:italic>Hamamelis virginiana </jats:italic>L. leaves,<jats:italic> Illicium verum</jats:italic> Hook. fruits and<jats:italic> Melissa officinalis </jats:italic>L. leaves, against anaerobic and facultative aerobic periodontal bacteria: <jats:italic>Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella </jats:italic>spp.,<jats:italic> Fusobacterium nucleatum, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Veilonella parvula, Eikenella corrodens, Peptostreptococcus micros </jats:italic>and<jats:italic> Actinomyces odontolyticus.</jats:italic> The methanol extracts of <jats:italic>H. virginiana</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>A. montana</jats:italic> and, to a lesser extent, <jats:italic>A. officinalis</jats:italic> were shown to possess an inhibiting activity (MIC ≤ 2048 mg/L) against many of the species tested. In comparison, <jats:italic>M. officinalis</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>C. officinalis</jats:italic> extracts had a lower inhibiting activity (MIC ≥ 2048 mg/L) against all the tested species with the exception of <jats:italic>Prevotella</jats:italic> sp. <jats:italic>Illicium verum</jats:italic> methanol extract was not very active though it had a particular good activity against <jats:italic>E. corrodens</jats:italic>. The results suggest the use of the alcohol extracts of <jats:italic>H. virginiana, A. montana </jats:italic>and<jats:italic> A. officinalis</jats:italic> for topical medications in periodontal prophylactics. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</jats:p>