Antibacterial Activity of Thymus vulgaris against Dental Caries

Abstract

Introduction: Essential oils possess antibacterial properties that can successfully combat disorders caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Thymus vulgaris essential oils against bacterial strains associated with dental caries.

Methods: Saliva specimens were obtained from individuals with dental caries at the Karanganyar Community Health Center during January–February 2023. The essential oil extracted from Thymus vulgaris was diluted to various concentrations ranging from 0.20 mg/mL to 100 mg/mL. Each concentration was made in 25–30 ml containers, with ten containers for each selective medium.

Results: The different amounts of essential oil stopped all the isolates from growing. In summary, the oil exhibits the least inhibitory effect at a concentration range of 16 μL/mL. At a concentration of 128 μl/mL, Thymus vulgaris EO effectively inhibited all isolates, except for Streptococcus mutans-1 and Escherichia coli.

Conclusion: Essential oil from Thymus vulgaris showed strong activity against clinical strains belonging to Staphylococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Escherichia sp., Bacillus sp., Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp isolated from the oral cavity at a dose of 64 and 128 μl/mL.