Page 40 - MDJ 2022 Jan-Jun, Volume 45 Number 1

Said Gulam Khan / Khor / Mohd Sarmin / Jambai / Mohd Azlan / Nordin

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on a study done by the Health Ministry of Malaysia. known medicinal plant; its different parts have different
Example of dental diseases include dental caries, dental uses. For example, the dried ripe fruit is a mild laxative. Its
erosion, periodontal diseases and developmental defects. fruits are also used in stomach ailments besides being
In this research, the main concern is dental caries. applied on cuts and ulcers. According to Dahiru et al.
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(2006), the seeds are a sedative and are taken sometimes
The development of dental caries requires with butter, to halt nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pains.
cariogenic bacteria and fermentable sugar to occur. They also stated that the dried root is also used to treat
Besides that, it is also influenced by the susceptibility of diarrhoea in Northern Parts of Nigeria. Other than that,
the tooth, the bacterial profile, quantity and quality of the Upadhyay et al. (2015), stated that an aqueous extract of
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saliva, levels of fluoride, and the time during which the Z. mauritiana leaf can be used for the prevention and
fermentable dietary carbohydrates are available for treatment of fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and other diseases
bacterial fermentation (i.e., the frequency of sugar intake). associated with high levels of cholesterol while the
Dental caries develops when demineralization of hard methanolic extract of Z. mauritiana stem bark possesses
tissue of the teeth (enamel and dentine) occurs. This antiulcer activity.
process is caused by organic acids produced by cariogenic
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bacteria via anaerobic metabolism of fermentable sugars According to Goyal et al. (2012), Z. mauritiana
which is derived from the diet. As organic acids are possesses pharmacological properties such as
produced during the fermentation process, the dental antihyperglycemic, antidiarrhoeal, antioxidant,
plaque pH surrounding the tooth start decreasing. This hepatoprotective, positive inotropic and chronotropic
condition increases the solubility of dental hard tissue and immunomodulatory, anti-steroidogenic, and antimicrobial.
demineralization will occur as hydrogen ions from the acid Other than that, studies have been conducted on the anti-
bind with calcium ions from the tooth and release them tumoural effects of Z. mauritiana on acute lymphoblastic
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into the surrounding or aqueous environment. leukaemia cancer. and cervical cancer cells. Furthermore,
the presence of secondary metabolites such as tannins,
The most common oral pathogen associated with saponins, glycosides, and phenols in the Z. mauritiana leaf
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dental caries formation is Streptococcus mutans. There is extracts have been reported to play a vital role against
a positive correlation between the progression of carious pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia
lesion with S. mutans counts. They are found in relatively coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
large number in dental plaque and are able to continue acid Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Bacillus
production even at low pH. This condition is favourable subtilis. Although previous studies have documented the
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for the development of dental caries. The presence of antimicrobial properties of this Z. mauritiana leaf extracts,
fermentable sugar stimulates S. mutans to produce glucans to date no study has been reported on the effect of Z.
which is responsible in the formation of oral biofilm that mauritiana plant extracts on oral microbes.
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subsequently initiates caries lesion.
The global need for alternative prevention and
Plants extracts have been used for thousands of treatment options and products for oral diseases that are
years worldwide in the prevention and curing of various safe, effective and economical comes from the rise in
diseases. Plants extracts have vital role in drug discovery disease incidence (particularly in developing countries),
and development due to the presence of active ingredients increased resistance by pathogenic bacteria to currently
as secondary metabolites. New resistance mechanisms used antibiotics and chemotherapeutics, opportunistic
emerge in many common pathogens to currently used infections in immunocompromised individuals and
therapeutic agents, such as antibiotics and antiviral agents. financial considerations in developing countries.
These situations are threatening our ability to treat
common infectious diseases and renewed interest in the Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the
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discovery of novel anti-infective compounds. The need antibacterial effect of Z. mauritiana on S. mutans.
for new antibacterial agents remains high and need urgent
attention, with ever increasing rates of resistance and side MATERIALS AND METHODS
effect of the current drugs on the market today. If new
agents are not discovered, many of the current therapies Plant Extract
will no longer work in the future, even for common
infections. Based on The World Health Organization, Z. mauritiana leaf powder was purchased from a
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about 80 % of the world’s populations are using plant local supplier.
extracts or their active constituents as folk medicine in Extract Preparation
traditional therapies.
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Ethanol was used for the extraction of the plant.
In the current study, Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. About 100g of the dried Z. mauritiana leaf powder was
belonging to the family Rhamnaceae was selected due to soaked in 500 mℓ of ethanol (100 %) in a Schott bottle
its properties and its application in various studies. 8–10 This covered with aluminium foil at room temperature on a
genus comprises of about 100 species of deciduous or shaker for 3 days (Figure 1). It was then filtered by using
evergreen trees and shrubs distributed in tropical and No.1 Whatman filter paper. The filtrate was concentrated
subtropical regions of the world. Z. mauritiana is a well-

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