title: In vitro antimicrobial activity of mouth washes and herbal products against dental biofilm-forming bacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in vitro, the antimicrobial effect of Cymbopogon citrates (lemon grass), Plectranthusamboinicus (Mexican mint) and Conyzabonariensis (hairy fleabane) tinctures as well as pure and diluted commercial mouth washes (Malvatricin(®), Periogard(®) and Listerine(®)) on wild isolates of Streptococcusmutans and reference strains of S. mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus oralis and Lactobacillus casei by determination of minimum inhibitory dilution (MID).
  
  
  METHODS
  0.12% chlorhexidine and 70% corn alcohol were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Saliva samples were collected from 3 volunteers and seeded in MSB broth to obtain Streptococcus isolates after 72-hour incubation. Using the agar diffusion method, susceptibility tests were performed with overnight incubation in microaerophilia at 37°C. All tests were performed in duplicate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bacterial species were resistant to the tinctures and Listerine(®), but were susceptible to 0.12% chlorhexidine, Malvatricin(®) and Periogard(®), with MIDs ranging from 12.5% to 1.56%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plectrantusamboinicus, Conyzabonariensis and Cymbopongoncitratus tinctures and Listerine(®) did not show inhibitory action against the tested biofilm-forming bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
authors.forename: Naiana B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Adílis K F
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Alexandria
authors.forename: Aline L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: De Lima
authors.forename: Lígia V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Claudino
authors.forename: Thiago F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: De Oliveira Carneiro
authors.forename: Adalberto C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.forename: Ana M G
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Valença
authors.forename: Alessandro L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
keywords: Dental plaque; mouthwashes; phytotherapy; plant extracts