Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the antimicrobial activity of Terminalia chebula mediated silver nanoparticles based mouthwash with a commercially available herbal mouthwash for its activity against 4 pathogens namely, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans at different concentrations (25 μL, 50 μL and 100 μL).
Background: Silver nanoparticles synthesised from plant sources are eco-friendly, cost-effective and have a variety of applications. The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles produced by various herbal sources has been well studied. Terminalia chebula has been used in the study to produce silver nanoparticles due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
Materials and methods: Terminalia chebula was used to prepare the plant extract, followed by the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. UV-vis spectroscopy was done for characterisation of the Ag-NPs synthesised. The NPs were then used to prepare a mouthwash. The Agar-Well Diffusion Method was used to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of Ag-NPs mouthwash in different concentrations, namely 25, 50 & 100 μL. A commercially available herbal mouthwash was used as a positive control. The zone of inhibition was recorded for each plate and the results were analysed using IBM SPSS software (Version 20.0).
Results: A colour change was observed after the synthesis of Ag-NPs. The prepared particles were then characterised by a peak seen at 440 nm in UV-vis-spectroscopy. The zone of inhibition increased in size with an increase in Ag-NP concentration.
Conclusion: Silver nanoparticles produced using terminalia chebula has good antimicrobial properties and can be used as a mouthwash as an alternative to other conventional herbal mouthwashes.