Mimusops elengi Linn (Bakul) Fruits - A Potential antibacterial agent of dental Pathogens

A number of bacteria have now become antibiotic-resistant. This increases the importance of ayurvedic medicine. We report, here, the activity of different extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water) of Mimusops elengi (Bakul) Fruits against dental pathogens – Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus sanguis. The cup-plate method was used in anti-bacterial activity of the extracts at concentration of 200 mg/ml against dental pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of most effective extracts against the most susceptible bacteria were determined using a two-fold serial micro dilution method. Methanolic extract showed maximum antibacterial activity against all the bacteria. The most susceptible bacteria were S. sanguis followed by S. aureus, S. mutans, S. salivarius and L. acidophilus. The MIC values showed that methanolic extract was more effective than water extract. The plant has the potential to generate herbal metabolites. The crude extracts demonstrating anti-dental caries activity could result in the discovery of new chemical classes of antibiotics. These chemical classes of antibiotics could serve as selective agents for the maintenance of human health and provide bio-chemical tools for the study of infectious diseases.