Combined Inhibitory Effect of Curcuma Xanthorrhiza Extract and Xylitol on Streptococcus Mutans and Actinomyces Viscosus

This study evaluated the combined inhibitory effects of a Curcuma xanthorrhiza extract (CXE) and Xylitol on S. mutans and A. viscosus in vitro. Three series of experiments on S. mutans and A. viscosus were carried out. In the first series, the Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CXE, Xylitol, and CXE mixed with Xylitol (CXE+Xylitol) against S. mutans and A. viscosus were determined. Second, the antibacterial effect and the rapid effectiveness of CXE, Xylitol, and CXE+Xylitol against those bacteria was evaluated as contacting for 1, 2, 5, and 10 minutes. Finally, The saccharolylic capability of S, mutans was examined using bovine teeth that had been pretreated with CXE (1%), Xylitol (1%), CXE+Xylitol (1%), chlorhexidine (1%) and distilled water, and rinsed with distilled water. The pretreated bovine teeth were layered with soft agar containing sucrose (5%), S. mutans and phenol red, as a pH indicator, and incubated. The MICs of CXE were 5 ppm on both bacterial species. Xylitol did not inhibit either species, The MICs of CXE+Xylitol were 10 and 5 ppm against S. mutans, A. viscosus, respectively. According to the rapid effectiveness, CXE completely inhibited the growth of bacteria but Xylitol did not. CXE+Xylitol Could completely inhibit the growth of bacteria. An evaluation of the saccharolytic capability of S. mutans on bovine teeth revealed that distilled water and Xylitol could not inhibit bacterial fermentation. However, the bovine teeth containing CXE, CXE+Xylitol and chlorhexidine inhibited the fermentation of bacteria. These results show that CXE and CXE+-Xylitol have a strong antibacterial effect on S. mutans and A. viscosus in vitro.