Assessment of antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of Tinospora cordifolia against Streptococcus mutans: An in vitro study.

The antimicrobial property of Tinospora cordifolia has been tested against a variety of microorganisms in the literature. The present study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activity of different concentrations of commercially available T. cordifolia powder against Streptococcus mutans.

An in vitro study was undertaken in which extract of T. cordifolia was obtained using 100% ethanol by maceration. Seven different concentrations were prepared and tested against S. mutans in brain-heart infusion agar medium. Plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 48 h, and zone of inhibition was measured using Vernier caliper. 0.2% chlorhexidine and dimethylformamide were used as positive and negative controls respectively. The data were analysed by descriptive analytic tests.

The maximum antibacterial activity of T. cordifolia was observed with a volume of 40 μl at 2% concentration with a zone of inhibition of 19 mm. A 30 μl volume of 0.2% chlorhexidine showed a zone of inhibition of 28 mm, and no zone of inhibition was observed with dimethylformamide.

Tinospora exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. mutans. However, it needs to be confirmed further with in vivo studies.