Quantitative analysis of anti-bacterial properties of Tulsi (ocimum sanctum) and Neem (azadirachta indica) plant extracts- in vitro study

Oral cavity cohabitates over 750 bacterial species of which only 50% relate to the pathogenesis of oral diseases such as dental caries.1 Due to the insufficient treatment protocols, new avenues in field of pharmacology are required. As an alternative method of treatment, use of medicinal plants in dentistry has recently drawn attention of many dental researchers. The objective of this study was to quantitatively analyze the anti-bacterial properties of Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum ) and Neem (Azadirachta indica) plants extracts on Streptococcus mutans under in vitro conditions. A total of thirty culture plates per plant including 10 plates per extract served as sample size for the study. The leaves, stems and roots of both the plants were shade dried and powdered and extracted by process of successive extraction. Overnight growth of the test organism in Brain Heart infusion was taken and sub-cultured in Blood Agar. The colonies were transferred to Blood Mueller Hilton (BMH) agar and growth pattern was observed the following morning. Three wells of 6mm diameter each were filled with ten micro-litre of the working suspension of different crude extracts of both Neem and Tulsi with the help of micropipettes. Plates were incubated at 37◦C for 48 hours and zone of inhibitions (ZOI) were measured. The study illustrated the mean values for the zones of inhibition (mm) for Neem to be 25.50mm, 26.60mm and 25.20 mm, respectively and that for Tulsi to be 22.80 mm, 20.40 mm and 21.20 mm, respectively which were significantly greater than that of Cephotaxime