Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the antibacterial effect of ethanolic extracts
of three medicinal plants (Camellia sinensis,green and black
tea, and Ziziphus spp) on different aerobic and anaerobic
bacteria. Material and Methods: The leaves of black tea,
green tea, and ziziphus from local markets were collected and
extracted in ethanol, the antibacterial activity of 50 ,5, and
0.5% of the ethanol extracts against Escherechia coli,
Staphylococcus aureus, Actinobacilus
actinomycetemcomitans, viridians streptococci and black
pigmenting bacteria were investigated using paper disk
diffusion technique. Results: The results obtained showed that
ethanolic extract exhibited antibacterial activities against
Escherechia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Actinobacilus
actinomycetemcomitans, viridians streptococci and black
pigmenting bacteria. The extracts produced inhibition zones
ranging from 2 – 32 mm against the test bacteria compared
with chlorhexidin (12-15mm). Conclusions: The ethanolic
extracts of the examined plants were effective antibacterial
agents against the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria especially
the periodontopathogens so we suggest to use them in
treatment and prevention of gingivitis and periodontitis.
