A STUDY ON IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF FICUS BENGALENSIS LINN. ON DENTAL CARIES PATHOGENS STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS AND ACTINOMYCES VISCOSUS

The aerial roots of Ficus bengalensis Linn. were collected in and around Chennai, Tamilnadu, India  They were washed, shade dried and were ground into powder.  The powder was extracted with chloroform, petroleum ether, methanol and hexane. The antibacterial screening of the extracts was carried out by determining the zone of inhibition using disc diffusion method. The strains were grown to logarithmic phase in BHI broth and the inoculum was prepared by adjusting the turbidity of bacterial suspension to 0.5 McFarland’s tube. The dried extracts was dissolved in 10% Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in required concentration. The sterile discs were impregnated with 20 μl of extract. The extract discs were placed on BHI agar plates, which were previously inoculated with test strains and incubated at 37^oC for 24 hours. Ampicillin disc (10μg) and 10% DMSO impregnated discs were used as positive and negative controls respectively and the zones of inhibition were recorded. The Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by agar dilution method. The results of the present study showed that the methanol and chloroform extracts of Ficus bengalensis Linn. have activity against both Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus. From the present study it is concluded that Ficus bengalensis Linn. extracts can be used as an effective antibacterial agent against dental caries.