Effect Of Chinese Nutgall On Common Periodontal Bacteria In Vitro

Periodontal disease is considered to have multiple risk factors and a major cause of pathogenic tooth loss. The presence of microorganisms is a crucial factor in inflammatory periodontal disease. The main bacteria involved in periodontal disease are Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedius, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, fusobacteriwn nucleatum etc. The increase of periodontopathic bacteria and the decrease of periodontal beneficial species may disturb periodontal micro-ecological balance. Furthermore, the growth of subgingival plaque bacteria in vivo is dependent upon their ability to produce a range of extracellular degradative enzyme (peptidases and glycosidases) to degrade host-derived macromolecules into assimilable substrates.This in vitro study was to observe the inhibition of aqueous extract from Chinese nutgall on 5 common periodontal bacteria and to determine its effect on proteolytic and glycosidic activities produced by periodontopathic bacteria, for it is likely that the inhibition of these enzyme activities would interfere with bacterial growth and reduce their plaque formation and virulence.1 The inhibition of the aqueous extract of Chinese nutgall on five periodontal bacteria in vitroThe liquid media two-fold dilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of the aqueous extract of Chinese nutgall on 5 common periodontal bacteria. All bacteria in this study wereinhibited at different concentration of the plant extract. The MIC values was 3.12% for P.gingivalis, P.intermedius, A.actinomycetemcometans and F.nucleatum, and 12.5% for S.sanguis. It is suggested that the plant extract may be used effectively against the periodontopathic bacteria at the concentration of 3.12% without disturbing the local ecological balance.2 Inhibition of peptidase and glycosidase activities of P.gingivalis, P.intermedius, A.actinomycetemcometans and F.nucleatum by the aqueous extract of Chinese nutgall.Aqueous extract from Chinese nutgall was tested for its ability to inhibit extracelllular degradative enzyme activities (peptidases and glycosidases) of these periodontal bacteria by measuring the release of AMC with a spectrofluorophotometer. The plant extract at low concentration significantly inhibited peptidase and glycosidase activities of these bacteria. Inhibition of these bacteria peptidase and glycosidase activities is likely to reduce the virulence and growth of P. gingivalis and to reduce the rate of dental plaque formation.According to the results from our study. Chinese nutgall may be employed as a new herbal medicine of preventing periodontal disease. The present study lays a theoretical foundation for the application of the plant to periodontal disease prevention. However, further research is needed on the plant's mechanism of periodontal disease prevention and its clinical application.