Comparative evaluation of antibacterial efficacy of chlorhexidine mouthwash and Momordica charantia, Spinacia oleracea mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus spp., and Porphyromonas gingivalis − An in vitro study

Introduction: Various advances have been made in pharmacology and synthetic organic chemistry, the dependency on natural products, particularly on herbs, remains relatively unchanged. Among various herbal products that are being used in dentistry, efficacy of mouthwash prepared using Momordica charantia extract and Spinacia oleracea extract on prevention of caries in children has not been researched yet. Hence, in this study the antibacterial efficacy of chlorhexidine mouthwash was evaluated and compared with Momordica charantia, Spinacia oleracea mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus, Porphyromonas gingivalis. To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of chlorhexidine mouthwash and Momordica charantia, Spinacia oleracea mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Materials and Methods: Ethanolic extract of Momordica charantia and Spinacia oleracea was prepared. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of these extracts were then determined against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Porphyromonas gingivalis using resazurin method and agar plate streaking method. Herbal mouthwashes were then prepared from the extracts using MIC and MBC values and its cytotoxicity was determined using MTT assay. Antibacterial susceptibility was then determined using agar well diffusion method and time-kill assay. Results: There is no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of chlorhexidine mouthwash and Momordica charantia, Spinacia oleracea mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Conclusion: Momordica charantia extract mouthwash and Spinacia oleracea extract mouthwash can be used as an herbal alternative as it has equal antibacterial efficacy against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Porphyromonas gingivalis as compared to 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash.