Phytochemicals naturally synthesized by M. citrifolia have an inhibitory effect on oral streptococci. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Role of aqueous extract of morinda citrifolia (Indian noni) ripe fruits in inhibiting dental caries-causing streptococcus mutans and streptococcus mitis.
J Dent (Tehran). 2014 Nov ;11(6):703-10. Epub 2014 Nov 30. PMID: 25628701
Barani Kumarasamy
OBJECTIVES: Use of alternative medicine to control oral streptococci is a new topic worthy of further investigation. This study aimed to elucidate the dose-dependent anti-bacterial activity of crude aqueous extract of ripe Morinda citrifolia L. (Family: Rubiaceae) fruits against oral streptococci i.e. Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus mitis, that cause dental caries in humans.
METHODS: Fresh ripe M. citrifolia fruits (750g) were ground in an electronic blender with sterile water (500ml). The crude aqueous extract was lyophilized to yield a brown colored powder. Various concentrations (1000-100μg/ ml) of the extract were tested for its antibacterial activity (Kirby and Bauer method) against whole cells of S. mutans and S. mitis. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by micro-dilution method, using serially diluted (2 folds) fruit extract, according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS).
RESULTS: Crude aqueous extract (1000μg/ ml) of ripe M. citrifolia fruits effectively inhibited the growth of S. mutans (19±0.5 mm) and S. mitis (18.6±0.3 mm) compared to the streptomycin control (21.6±0.3 mm). The growth inhibition was clearly evident with"nil"bacteriostasis, even after 48 hours of incubation at 37°C. The MIC of the extract for S. mutans and S. mitis was 125 μg and 62.5 μg, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that phytochemicals naturally synthesized by M. citrifolia have an inhibitory effect on oral streptococci. Furthermore, purification and molecular characterization of the"bioactive principle"would enable us to formulate a sustainable oral hygiene product.