Antibacterial Activity of Ethanol Extracts from Sembung Leaves (Blumea Balsamifera) and Purple Leaves (Graptophyllum Pictum) against Streptococcus Mutans

<p><em><span>Streptococcus mutans is a gram-positive bacterium associated with infectious disorders such as dental caries, cerebral microbleeds, IgA nephropathy, and atherosclerosis. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin and chloramphenicol are employed to address infections induced by this bacterium. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance. A potential alternative for this problem is the utilization of herbal medicine sourced from plants like Sambong leaves (Blumea balsamifera) and Caricature leaves (Graptophyllum pictum). This study aims to find out what phytochemicals were in ethanol leaf extract combinations and how well they worked as an antibacterial against S. mutans. <span>This study employs a quasi-experimental design with a testing phase, which involves the formulation of ethanol extracts from Sambong and Caricature leaves in ratios of 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3, as well as phytochemical analyses and antibacterial assessments against S. mutans FNCC 0405.</span> The phytochemical analysis revealed that the two ethanol extracts of the leaf contain flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and phenols. The antibacterial test showed that the inhibitory zones made by sambong and caricature leaf ethanol extracts mixed at 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 ratios were 4 mm (plus or minus 0 mm), 3.08 mm (plus or minus 0.38 mm), and 1.46 mm (plus or minus 0.71 mm). The positive control, chloramphenicol, had an inhibitory zone diameter of 26.75 ± 0.25 mm. The Kruskal-Wallis test findings indicate a significant difference among the three extract combinations and the positive control (p<0.05). The research concludes that the mixed ethanol extract exhibits minimal antibacterial action.</span></em></p>