Evaluation of anti-microbial efficacy among Andrographis Paniculata and Mimusops Elengi on oral microflora: An Experimental in-vitro study

Introduction

Oral health is an essential non-integrated part of general health that plays a vital role in preventing chronic diseases. The oral cavity acts as a suitable environment for the proliferation of bacteria by forming a connecting link to invade the tissues through direct contact from outside. For the past few decades, there has been increased resistance of human pathogenic bacteria to the currently used antibiotics and chemotherapeutics for tooth decay, gingivitis, periodontitis and fungal infection among different age groups. Hence, the search has shifted to traditional plants and natural products, which are a good alternative. To create oral hygiene solutions for the prevention of oral infections, several ayurvedic ingredients, including Andrographis paniculata and Mimusops elengi, have been tested for their effectiveness against dental pathogens. The present investigation's purpose is to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration-based antibacterial efficiency of Andrographis paniculata and Mimusops elengi against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Actinomyces and Candida albicans.

Methodology

Antimicrobial activity of herbal extracts was determined using the agar well diffusion method. Ethanolic extracts were prepared using a cold extraction method whereas Dimethyl sulfoxide and water were used as dissolution solvents. The diluted herbal extract sample was used as the test sample, while the positive control used was an antibiotic solution and the negative control used was dissolution solvents. The samples were implanted, the bacteria along with the culture media were incubated, and the zone of inhibition was measured.

Results

The Minimum inhibitory concentration and zones of inhibition of Andrographis Paniculata and Mimusops Elengi showed significant antibacterial efficacy when compared with standards.

Conclusion

Andrographis Paniculata and Mimusops Elengi may be used as an efficient addition to conventional care in the management of oral disorders, according to their antimicrobial efficacy.

Anticancer Effect of Plectranthus Amboinicus and Glycyrrhiza Glabra on Oral Cancer Cell Line: An Invitro Experimental Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Oral cancer is a commonly encountered type of cancer with multifactorial etiology. The number of oral cancer cases are increasing in the recent past. Advancements in cancer therapy are continuously evolving. In spite of that, the survival rate is very low along with adverse effects associated with each treatment modality. This poses a need for a constant search for newer or alternative treatment options. Herbal medicines or plant-based medicines are derived from plant sources. Evidence supports that incorporating herbal medicines in cancer therapy offers many advantages. Hence, exploring plant species for anticarcinogenic properties can potentially benefit cancer therapy. Studies show that the two medicinal herbs Plectranthus amboinicus (Indian borage, Karpooravalli) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice, Athimathuram) have shown excellent anticancer activity on various cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate and assess the anticancer property of two medicinal plants Plectranthus amboinicus (Indian borage, Karpooravalli) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice, Athimathuram) on oral cancer (KB) cell line.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethanolic extracts of leaves of Plectranthus amboinicus and roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra were prepared. The oral cancer (KB) cell line was procured and cultured. Cell viability (MTT) assay was performed using various concentrations of both the plant extracts on oral cancer cells. The percentage of cell viability for each concentration was calculated and the IC50 value was derived for the two plant extracts.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant decrease in the percentage of viable cells with increasing concentration of the extracts. The IC50 values of Plectranthus amboinicus and Glycyrrhiza glabra were 53.0 µg/ml and 43.6 µg/ml respectively. On comparing the anticancer effect of the two extracts, Glycyrrhiza glabra was more cytotoxic than Plectranthus amboinicus on oral cancer (KB) cells.

CONCLUSION

The two medicinal plants Plectranthus amboinicus and Glycyrrhiza glabra exhibited potent anticancer activity against oral cancer (KB) cells.

HBE homozygous haemoglobinpathy - Fortuitous finding

A 24-year-old male patient presented with the principal complaint of deposits on his teeth and gingival pigmentation. After examination, he was diagnosed with chronic generalized gingivitis. He was further referred for pre-procedural routine blood investigations. Bleeding time, clotting time, and his random blood sugar values were normal. CBC report revealed the presence of erythrocytosis with microcytic hypochromic red blood cells. Following this peripheral smear was taken which reveals the presence of polychromatophils, target cells and a few spherocytes. Haemoglobin electrophoresis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed which disclosed 90.8% of HbE, suggestive of homozygous haemoglobinopathy. He had no other associated systemic findings, and there was no relevant family history. The patient was informed about his condition and stated to have pre-marital and pre-natal genetic counselling in the future. The patient being a carrier of the thalassaemic trait happened to know his condition incidentally, which could prevent future complications.

Sarcoidosis - A review article

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disorder of multiple organs, with lungs and lymphatic systems being the most frequently affected sites of the body. It was first reported in 1877 and has continued to engross both clinicians and scientists since that time. Because sarcoidosis being a diagnosis of exclusion, it demands the physician to rule out all the possible diagnosis. Most of the patients remain asymptomatic and this makes the disease remain unnoticed for a prolonged period. Later after years, the disease could be diagnosed after witnessing the patient being symptomatic or suffering from organ failures. It could affect middle aged people of any sexes, often its clinical features correlate with tuberculosis. On immunological and histopathological examination, it reveals noncaseating granuloma in simple terms. Glucocorticoids remain the standard drug now and then. Further research has to be done to know the exact pathogenesis, early detection and betterment in treatment plan of sarcoidosis. The current review article gives a brief knowledge about etiopathogenesis, Clinical features, upgraded diagnostic methods such as biomarkers detection and the organized treatment plan to treat sarcoidosis.

Association of oral manifestations in ulcerative colitis: A pilot study

Background:

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic tissue destructive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of autoimmune origin characterized by predominant bowel symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and relapsing and remitting rectal bleeding, leading to loss of weight. Extraintestinal manifestations, including involvement of the oral cavity, may also occur. Oral involvement during IBD includes aphthous ulcers, pyostomatitis vegetans (PV) and lichen planus (LP).

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to document the oral manifestations in UC patients and also to evaluate whether oral manifestation can predict relapse and remission of UC.

Materials and Methods:

Fifteen patients (8 men and 7 women) diagnosed for UC, in clinics of gastroenterology (with disease duration 5–15 years), with equal age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. All study participants were subjected to intraoral examination to evaluate for oral manifestation. The same patients were also asked a series of questions in the form of questionnaire to evaluate possible association between occurrence of oral manifestations and relapse of UC episode.

Results:

PV, minor aphthous ulcer, LP, halitosis, dysgeusia, dry mouth, tongue coating, gingivitis and periodontitis were documented as oral manifestations in UC. PV, minor aphthous ulcer and LP exhibited relapse and remission with the severity of UC.

Conclusion:

Our study revealed numerous and varied intraoral manifestations among the patients with UC. The previous episodes of oral manifestations were also similar and reported exacerbation of oral manifestations during relapses. Thus, oral manifestations can be used as an indicator of relapse in UC.

Periodontal health status and implication of periodic acid-Schiff diastase - a key in exfoliative cytology among diabetics mellitus patients: A case-control study

Objectives:

The objectives of the study are: (i) To determine if periodic acid–Schiff (PAS)-Diastase is an effective tool to diagnose DM noninvasively, (ii) to use three different types of staining procedures to identify the staining pattern over the exfoliated cells of normal and diabetic patients, (iii) to study the periodontal health status of DM and normal subjects.

Materials and Methods:

Basic questions regarding the demographic data were asked, following which community periodontal index (CPI) was recorded. Oral smears were collected from clinically normal buccal mucosa of 150 patients using wooden tongue spatulas. The subjects were asked to gargle their mouth with water and the wooden spatula was scraped at the site from buccal mucosa. The smears were spread evenly on a dry clean glass slide and fixed immediately with absolute ethyl alcohol. Three slides were prepared for each of the patients. PAS, PAS with diastase digestion, and Papanicolaou staining were performed and examined under a microscope.

Results:

Average CPI for study subjects was 3.2 and control subjects was 2.1. The average loss of attachment was 1.1 in the study group and 0.2 in the control group (P - 0.00) and the result are statistically highly significant. All the 150 cases (100%) were positive for PAS staining, while PAS-diastase (PAS-D) staining showed positivity only for normal subjects and was negative (100%) in the diabetic group (P - 0.00) and the result are statistically highly significant.

Conclusions:

Results of our study showed that exfoliative cytology of the oral cavity, when stained with PAS and PAS-D, can be used as an effective screening and diagnostic tool for DM patients.