Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Plant Chewing Sticks and their Antibacterial Activity on Dental Pathogen

Objective: Synthesis of silver nanoparticles from plant chewing sticks of Azadirachta indica, Ficus bengalensis and Salvadora persica and their antibacterial activity on dental pathogens were conducted. Methods: Oral pathogens were isolated from the oral cavities of student community and antibacterial assay was conducted by disc diffusion method. Results: Lactobacillus acidophilus NCBT-060, L. lactis NCBT-063, Micrococcus luteus NCBT-036, Proteus vulgaris NCBT-020, Staphylococcus aureus NCBT-052 and Streptococcus mutans (NCBT-058) which cause gingivitis, periodontitis and plaque were tested for antibacterial activity. The antibacterial effect of chewing stick extract as well as silver nanoparticles from chewing sticks revealed that S. persica is highly effective against oral pathogens followed by A. indica and F. bengalensis when compared with control (AgNO3) at 1 mM concentration, ethyl alcohol and standard antimicrobial disc used as positive controls. Conclusions: The different response of each microbe to the various chewing stick extracts indicated that the natural chewing stick posses different phytochemical compounds which inhibited the growth of oral pathogens. The silver nanoparticles prepared from S. persica proved scientifically about the epidemiological and clinical beneficial effects on oral hygine