Anticariogenic potential of selected medicinal plants from Dayak Benuaq tribe, Indonesia

Several selected medicinal plants from the indigenous Dayak Benuaq tribe of Indonesia were analyzed for their potential as anticariogenic. The plant parts of leaves, stems, roots, and tubers were extracted using methanol. Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus mutans are used to determine antibacterial and anticariogenic activities. Toxicity activity was evaluated using Artemia salina with the brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLT) method. This study also calculated the content of total tannins, total flavonoids and total phenols. The results of this study indicate that four selected medicinal plants, namely Cratoxylum sumatranum (Jack) Blume., Areca catechu L., Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry., and Lepisanthes amoena (Hassk.) Leenh., have the potential to inhibit the growth of S. sobrinus bacteria with inhibition values of 89.75%, 80.17%, 71.37%, and 74.69% in concentrations of 100 ppm. The highest content of total tannins, total phenols and total flavonoids was in Uncaria gambir (W. Hunter) Roxb, with respective values of 205.94 g/g, 478.52 mg GAE/g, and 0.725 g CE/g. Anticariogenic activity showed that U. gambir, Helminthostachys. zeylanica, S. aromaticum, L. amoena, and Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) had the potential to inhibit acid production in bacteria with a pH of 6.380, 6.563, 6.140, 5.987 and 5.933, respectively. Besides that, it can also inhibit the attachment of bacterial cells with values of 31%, 50%, 43%, 53%, and 40%. The results of this study indicate the potential of several selected medicinal plants from the Dayak Benuaq tribe in Temula village as natural antibacterial, anticancer, and anticariogenic agents.