In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluation of Lozenges Containing Extract of Garlic and Ginger

Purpose: The present work is an antimicrobial evaluation of lozenge dosage forms containing garlic and ginger extract. Methods: Lozenges containing pulverized garlic and ginger were produced by the moulding method and was evaluated against oropharyngeal microbial isolates after time-release in a normal saline-saliva sink solution. The solution was withdrawn at different intervals and screened for antimicrobial activities using the agar diffusion method against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Candida albicans . Nystatin tablets were used as standard. Results: There was inhibition of growth by Nystatin tablet but garlic-ginger combination only inhibited growth of laboratory strains of C. albicans . Conclusion: The result of this study showed that the garlic and ginger can be formulated into lozenges and used in nonresistant oral thrush. Keywords: Antimicrobial evaluation, Lozenges, Garlic extract, Ginger extract, Oral thrush.