Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of Andrographis paniculata ethanol extract mouthwash against oral pathogens

Aims: Nowadays, oral diseases affect many people and oral mouthwash is commonly used as a preventive measure.However, some chemicals contained in mouthwash are thought to have negative effects with long-term use.Andrographis paniculata (AP) plant is recognized for its antibacterial properties and is known for its usage in herbal medicine.The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of AP herbal mouthwash in combating oral pathogens and examining its cytotoxic effects. Methodology and results:The antibacterial activity of AP ethanol extract mouthwash was tested on common oral pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and Staphylococcus aureus by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the broth dilution technique, followed by determining the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).Cytotoxicity analysis was carried out in an in vivo study using a brine shrimp lethality bioassay.The results showed that AP herbal mouthwash at a concentration of 25 mg/mL has the best antibacterial activity and recorded its MIC against S. mutans and S. sobrinus, while S. aureus recorded the MIC at 50 mg/mL.However, the MBC for S. mutans and S. sobrinus were recorded at 100 mg/mL and no MBC was detected for S. aureus.The AP herbal mouthwash in the brine shrimp lethality assay shows LC50 value at a concentration of 3207.98 g/mL, below the toxicity level.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Thus, AP herbal mouthwash has been proven to be effective against common oral pathogens.However, further study of its toxicity needs to be carried out to confirm its safety before the pilot study and commercialization of the product.