Investigating the Antibacterial Effect of Prunus scoparia (Spach) C.K.Schneid. Extract on Anaerobic Bacteria of Gum Infection.

Oral anaerobic bacteria cause a wide range of oral diseases. Research results have proven that there is a strong connection between periodontal bacteria and oral anaerobic bacteria with some serious human cancers, oral cavity infections, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and even heart disease. Prunus scopariais one of the wild medicinal plants of Iran, which is widely distributed in Lorestan province. Local people of Lorestan use it in traditional medicine to treat diabetes, inflammatory diseases and microbial infections. In this study, the methanolic extract of P. scoparia was tested on several anaerobic bacteria. The results showed that the methanol extract of the P. scoparia can inhibit the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans and bacteria at a dilution of 40 mg/ml and the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria at a dilution of 25 mg/ml. The minimum inhibition concentration of vancomycin for P. gingivalis and Streptococcus mutans is 0.002 mg/ml and for L. acidophilus is 0.008 mg/ml. MIC values of metronidazole for Streptococcus mutans, L. acidophilus and P. gingivalis are 0.008, 0.032 and 0.064 mg/ml, respectively. So, the results demonstrated that the methanolic extract of this plant can be used in the treatment of many diseases related to anaerobic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]