Anti-bacterial activity of three essential oils - An in vitro study

Abstract

To conduct a study regarding the antibacterial activity of essential oils against bacteria causing Caries. Essential oils are distillates of the volatile compounds of a plant’s secondary metabolism and may act as photoprotective agents. Their curative effect has been known since antiquity. It is based on a variety of pharmacological properties which are specific for each plant species. The mouth contains a variety of oral bacteria, but only a few species of bacteria are believed to cause dental caries. Antibacterial activity of the three essential oils, Rosemary oil, Holy basil oil, Thyme oil was screened against Streptococcus mutans, using disc diffusion technique. The rosemary oil was more effective against Streptococcus mutans with a zone of inhibition of 52 mm diameter (at concentration 200 µl), Rosemary oil showed a zone of inhibition of 44 mm diameter and with thyme oil, the zone diameter was 30 mm. The results of this study showed that the essential oils at different concentrations exhibited antibacterial activity against the bacterial species tested.