Comparative study of herbal compounds curcumin and negundoside on the biofilm producing property of streptococcus mutans isolated from oral infection

Biofilm is a community of cells attached to either a biotic or abiotic surface enclosed in a complex exopolymeric substance (EPS).1 Biofilms allow micro–organisms to trap nutrients and withstand hostile environmental conditions by Quorum sensing (QS). It is widespread and well–known cell–to–cell communication phenomenon for the regulation of behaviors of biofilm formation and virulence.2–4 QS Comprises of chemical communication among bacteria involving formation, secretion, detection and reaction to molecules known as autoinducers (AI). Several serious infections are reported to be a result of biofilm formation and further it leads to chronic diseases. These Persistent infections is a challenge for public health on a global scale as it reduces the effectiveness of treatments and increases morbidity, mortality, and health care costs.5 Streptococcus mutans is an impotent pathogen and is a common cause of oral infections such as dental caries; S. mutans effectively utilizes dietary sucrose to synthesize large amounts of exo polysaccharides, which plays an important role in accumulation, adhesion, plaque matrix formation of microorganism, These processes in most cases lead to serious infections. The ability of micro-organism to from biofilm on host tissue surface is an important step in the development of infection.6 Due to poor hygienic condition and infection of pathogenic micro–organism creates difficulties and presently wide range of antibiotics are being used for treating infections but due to their adverse effect and antibiotic resistance is now paying attention towards natural biologically active herbal compounds as an alternative medicine.7,8 Natural compounds Curcumin commonly found in Curcuma longa it’s a diarylheptanoid, the principal component of Curcuma longa. Negundoside it’s a type of glycoside found in Vitex negundo are available plant species in India. It is a reputed medicinal herb and employed as a traditional cure in Asian system of medicine (Indian, Chinese and Malaysian) for variety of disease conditions.9–12 The objective of present study was to identify natural compounds like Curcumin and Negundoside for their potential against biofilm producing activity.