title: Inhibitory activity of Myrtus communis oil on some clinically isolated oral pathogens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the antimicrobial activities of Myrtus communis oil (MCO) on some oral pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty strains of Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacteractinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and 20 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and Candida albicans isolated from patients with dental caries, periodontal diseases, pharyngitis and oral lesions associated with artificial dentures were used for the antimicrobial activity of MCO. The oil was prepared by hydrodistillation procedures using a Clevenger apparatus. Agar disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods were performed on various concentrations of MCO (3.9-1,000 µg/ml) using all the pathogens isolated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All isolates were sensitive to MCO at 125-1,000 µg/ml by agar disk diffusion producing inhibition zones of 8.1-41.25 mm in diameter. All of the S. pyogenes, S. mutans and C. albicans strains were sensitive to 62.5 µg/ml while 70% (21/30) of A. actinomycetemcomitans and 66.6% (20/30) of P. gingivalis were resistant to these concentrations. All S. pyogenes and S. mutans strains were sensitive to 31.25 µg/ml. All S. pyogenes strains were sensitive to 15.6 and 7.8 µg/ml of MCO. None of the clinical isolates in this study were sensitive to 3.9 µg/ml or to a lower concentration of oil. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of MCO for S. pyogenes, S. mutans, C. albicans, A.actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were 29.68 ± 4.8, 31.25 ± 0, 46.9 ± 16, 62.5 ± 0 and 62.5 ± 0 µg/ml, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data obtained in this study revealed a strong antimicrobial activity of MCO on the tested oral pathogens, and MCO could therefore be useful in the prevention of the related oral infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry and Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fani
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohanteb
authors.forename: Abdolmehdi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araghizadeh
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D031651:Myrtus; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D013289:Streptococcaceae
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D010936:Plant Extracts