Effectiveness assessment of mouthwashes formulated from the essential oils of some beninese medicinal plants against oral germs

Faced with the increasing growth of microorganism’s resistance to conventional antibiotics, the search of new bioactive molecules having pharmaceutical interest is more than ever committed. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the effectiveness of seven mouthwashes formulated from essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum basilicum, Cymbopogon citratus, Clausena anisata, Lippia multifora, Eugenia caryophyllata or Mentha piperita against five oral germs (Micrococcus luteus ATCC 10240, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 24974, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Candida albicans IP 4872). The antimicrobial power of different mouthwashes was evaluated through the determination of their minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations by microdilution method. All mouthwashes had an inhibitory and bactericidal effect against the studied germs. Their minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration varied according to the type of germ (from 0.125 to 1 μg/ml). The mouthwashes formulated from essential oils of O. basilicum and C. citratus were the most effective against all germs. They were followed by mouthwashes formulated from essential oils of O. gratissimum and C. anisata.