Pharmacological appraisal of plant extracts traditionally used as Tooth sticks (Miswak) in Poonch region of Kashmir, Pakistan

Dr. Muhammad Khan 1, Maria Akhtar 1, Dr. Zia ur Rahman Mashwani 2, Nabeela Ashraf 1, Dr. Naveed Iqbal Raja 2, Dr. Ansar Mehmood 1

Univeristy of Poonch Rawalakot, Pakistan 1, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Pakistan 2

Oral diseases are major health problems with dental caries and periodontal infections among the most important preventable ailments. A total of six medicinal (Nerium olender, Juglans regia, Zanthozylum armatum, Olea europea, Prunus persica, Vitex negundo) To check their antimicrobial activity, different concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/mL) of the plant extracts were used using well diffusion method against two bacterial strains viz; Pseudomonas aeruginosa and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). An antibiotic (streptomycin) was used as positive control where blank (no treatment) as negative control. All the assays were conducted in triplicates and mean value were obtained. The results revealed that (O. europea, N. olendar, P. persica, J. regia, X. armatum, and V. Negundo) produced the inhibition zones of 2.4± 0.088, 2.3±0.033, 2.5±0.01, 2.1±0.06, 2.3±0.033 and 1.8±0.033cm against P. aeruginosa. Similarly the inhibitions zones 1.6±0.120 cm, 2±0.577 cm, 1.8±0.057 cm, 1.4±0.057 cm, 2.1±0.088 and 1.9±0.01 cm of (O. europea, N. olendar, P. persica, J. regia, X. armatum, and V. Negundo) respectively was recorded against MRSA strain against the antibacterial drug (Streptomycin) that produced the inhibition zone of 2.2±0.152 cm and 2.3± 0.120 against Pseudomonas and MRSA respectively. The present study concludes that “tooth stick” tradition of Kashmir Himalayas has a fairly large basket of plants/ plant parts and carries a considerable ethnopharmacological potential.

Main author career stage: Professor / Permament researcher

Contribution type: Talk

First choice session: 6. Plants, Fungi and Society

Second choice session: 6. Plants, Fungi and Society