EVALUATION OF SALIVARY pH AND VIABILITY OF Streptococcus mutans AFTER CHEWING BETEL LEAVES – An in vivo STUDY
ANKITA KOMAL LABH
Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
L. LEELAVATHI *
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
N. P. MURALIDHARAN
Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai -600 077, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Betel leaf has been well known in Indian traditional medicine for its stimulant, antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial activity. It has been used in toothpastes and mouthwashes as an anti-caries agent. Streptococcus mutans is the chief bacteria involved in the pathogenesis of caries.
Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the alteration in salivary pH and viability of Streptococcus mutans after chewing betel leaves.
Materials and Methods: 60 samples of 30 subjects were collected before and after chewing of betel leaves. The pH of the saliva was checked using pH strips. Saliva samples were then diluted to a ratio of 1:160 and streaked onto Mutans-Sanguis agar. The agar plates were incubated at 37oC for 24 hours and the number of colonies were counted. Data was then subjected to a Paired Sample T-Test using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for MacOS (Version 21, 2020).
Results: On an average the number of colonies formed in the sample taken before chewing of betel leaves was 41.90 and after chewing was 25.80. (Statistically significant; p=0.004; p<0.05) The average pH was from the sample before chewing of betel leaves was 5.995 and that after chewing of betel leaves was 6.190, although the data was statistically not significant. (Statistically not significant; p=0.081; p>0.05)
Conclusion: There is a decrease in the bacterial colony count which shows that betel leaves have antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans. The pH has increased very slightly but the data remains statistically not significant.
Keywords: Betel leaf, mutans-sanguis agar, paan, salivary pH, Streptococcus mutans, etc.