Antimicrobial Effects of Mastic Extract Against Oral and Periodontal Pathogens

Background: Various antimicrobial agents are widely used in the therapy of oral inflammatory diseases. However, their side effects and the appearance of drug resistance justify research on natural antimicrobial agents to target oral pathogens that are safe for the host. In the present study, antimicrobial properties of mastic extract on commensal and pathogenic oral bacteria, as well as its possible cytotoxic effect toward cells of epithelial and mesenchymal origin, were evaluated and compared with the common antimicrobial agents hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX). Methods: Oral and periodontal pathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans [Sm], Streptococcus oralis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens) were treated with different concentrations of mastic extract, 3% H₂O₂, and 0.2% CHX, and evaluated with an agar diffusion test. The cytotoxic effect of mastic extract was tested on four cell lines of epithelial and mesenchymal origin (HaCaT, SaOS‐2, MC3T3‐E1, periodontal ligament [PDL] cells) by neutral red and 2,3‐bis‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐carboxanilide assay. Results: Mastic extract led to significantly (P ≤0.016) increased inhibition of the tested periodontal pathogens compared with H₂O₂. No effect of mastic extract was observed on Sm. Mastic extract showed beneficial effects on cell viability because viability values of tested cells were significantly (P ≤0.016) lower for cells treated with CHX and H₂O₂ compared with mastic extract–treated cells after stimulation for 2, 4, and 6 hours. Conclusion: The present data demonstrate mastic extract’s inhibition of periodontal pathogens, as well as beneficial effects on cell viability, compared with H₂О₂, suggesting that it could be considered an alternative antibacterial agent in the prevention of periodontal disease.     

超临界CO2萃取法与水蒸气蒸馏法提取黄连木嫩叶挥发油及GC-MS分析

目的 对超临界CO2流体萃取法和水蒸气蒸馏法提取黄连木嫩叶挥发油的化学成分进行比较分析.方法 用超临界CO2流体萃取法和水蒸气蒸馏法提取黄连木嫩叶挥发油,对其化学成分采用GC-MS分析.结果 超临界CO2流体萃取法与水蒸气蒸馏法得到的挥发油成分具有一定差异,分别鉴定出18种和24种化学组分.其中8种为相同的主要挥发油成分,如β-月桂烯、D-柠檬烯、1-碘代-十六烷等.结论 两种方法提取的黄连木嫩叶挥发油成分种类存在一定差异,但是主要挥发油成分的提取效果相当,综合考虑需要组分可以选择合适的提取方法.