Loading
Life sciences · Journal article
Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences · September 21, 2026
No summary has been generated for this record yet. What follows is drawn from its source metadata only.
Journal article.
No findings were extractable from the material analysed.
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
The source did not state who this applies to in practice.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
This record has not been graded across any dimension yet. Treat the label above as provisional and read the source.
What is missing. This record has no bottom line, key findings, reported figures, evidence dimensions. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
Abstract: Background: Dental caries are chronic infectious diseases with a high global prevalence. Its pathogenesis is closely related to the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), formation of dental plaque biofilms and acid production. Currently, only a few types of anticaries drugs are available for clinical use and the long-term use of these drugs can lead to side effects, such as drug resistance and dysbiosis of the oral microbiota. Objectives: Therefore, exploring new, safe and effective anti-caries treatments is an urgent task. Screening antimicrobial drugs from herbal medicines for non-antibiotic treatment of bacteria could provide new solutions to these problems. This study aimed to screen food-borne herbal extracts with synergistic antimicrobial potential to provide a theoretical foundation for the development of natural anticaries drugs. Methods: This in-vitro study evaluated the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration of individual plant extracts (cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and polydatin) and a 1:1 mixture of these extracts. The effects of drug combinations were assessed using the checkerboard method. The inhibitory effects of drugs against S. mutans and their antibacterial mechanisms were evaluated through scanning electron microscopy and conductivity measurements. Their ability to inhibit S. mutans biofilms was assessed through crystal violet (Beijing Solebao Technology Co.) staining and scanning electron microscopy. Their inhibition of bacterial acid production and cytotoxicity to human gingival fibroblasts were also examined. Results: The combination groups exhibited synergistic bacteriostatic effects while reducing cytotoxicity. Individual and combined plant extracts exerted bacteriostatic effects by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane, significantly inhibiting S. mutans biofilm formation while suppressing its acid production. Conclusions: The application of combined food-borne herbal extracts inhibits the growth of S. mutans and its biofilm synergistically while reducing the required drug concentration and cytotoxicity. This provides a new approach for the development of natural anticaries preparations.