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<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">global-journal-of-medical-research-j-dentistry-otolaryngology</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Global Journal of Medical Research - J: Dentistry &amp; Otolaryngology</journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn publication-format="print">0975-5888</issn>
<issn publication-format="electronic">2249-4618</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Global Journals Publishing Group Incorporated</publisher-name></publisher>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://globaljournals.org/journal-seo-export/jats/60832.xml" />
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<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">60832</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Antimicrobial Properties of Jatropha curcas L. against Dental Pathogens</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Anyanwu</surname><given-names>Ogechi O.</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1" />
</contrib>
</contrib-group>
<aff id="aff1">NIGERIA, Nnamd Azikiwe University</aff>
<pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2018-01-15">
<day>15</day>
<month>01</month>
<year>2018</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>18</volume>
<issue>J2</issue>
<fpage>13</fpage>
<lpage>17</lpage>
<abstract><p>This research is aimed at investigating the in vitro antimicrobial activities of Jatropha Curcas twigs against dental carries-causing bacteria. The methanol/methyl chloride crude extract of J. Curcas twigs was fractionated into aqueous, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol fractions. Using the agar well diffusion and the agar dilution methods, the antimicrobial activities of plant fractions were determined against strains of Streptococcus mutans isolated from dental swabs from patients with dental caries. The ethyl acetate fraction showed best antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25 mg/ml, followed by the butanol and n-hexane fractions, both with MICs ≥ 25 mg/ml against S. mutans . The aqueous fraction showed no activity against all strains of S. mutans tested. The result of our study reveals that J. Curcas twig possesses antimicrobial against dental caries-causing bacteria strains. This justifies the folkloric use of the plant twigs in oral hygiene as a chewing stick/toothbrush for the prevention of dental caries.</p></abstract>
<kwd-group kwd-group-type="author-generated">
<kwd>jatropha curcas</kwd>
<kwd>antimicrobial activity</kwd>
<kwd>streptococcus mutans</kwd>
<kwd>dental caries.</kwd>
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<p>This research is aimed at investigating the in vitro antimicrobial activities of Jatropha curcas twigs against dental carries-causing bacteria. The methanol/methyl chloride crude extract of J. curcas twigs was fractionated into aqueous, n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions. Using the agar well diffusion and the agar dilution methods, the antimicrobial activities of plant fractions were determined against strains of Streptococcus mutans isolated from dental swabs from patients with dental caries. The ethyl acetate fraction showed best antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25 mg/ml, followed by the n-butanol and n-hexane fractions, both with MICs â‰¥ 25 mg/ml against S. mutans. The aqueous fraction showed no activity against all strains of S. mutans tested. The results of our study show that J. curcas twig possesses antimicrobial against dental caries-causing bacteria strains. This justifies the folkloric use of the plant twigs in oral hygiene as a chewing stick/toothbrush for the prevention of dental caries.</p>
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