Evaluation of Antifungal and Antibacterial Effects of Capparis spinosa Root Extract on Streptococcus Mutans and Candida albicans

Background & Objective: Capparis spinosa is a plant belonging to the genus Capari which is important for medicinal purposes. It is also known as a multipurpose plant in Persian medicine. In this study, we searched for natural active ingredients in mouthwash for immunocompromised patients and examined the antifungal plus antibacterial properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of the root of the Capparis plant against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) PTCC ۱۶۸۳ and Candida albicans (C. albicans) ATCC-۱۰۲۳۱ was investigated.   Materials & Methods: Ethanol extracts of plant roots were extracted by the percolation method. The diameter of the growth inhibition zone of C. albicans and S. mutans extracts was measured using the well plate method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were calculated for bacterial and fungal strains. In addition, the minimum sterilization concentration (MBC) and minimum sterilization concentration (MFC) of the extract were investigated using the broth microdilution method. The results were compared with an antibacterial and antifungal drug of ۰.۲% chlorhexidine nystatin.  Results: The results for both pathogens revealed that the diameter of the growth inhibition zone increased with elevation of the extract concentration. The MIC and MBC of S. mutans extract were ۶۲.۵ and ۶۲.۵ mg/ml, compared to ۰.۳۹ and ۰.۳۹ mg/ml for chlorhexidine. The MIC and MFC of the plant against the fungus C. albicans were ۷.۸۱۲ and ۳۱.۲۵ mg/ml, compared to ۰.۲۵ and ۱.۲۵ μg/ml for nystatin.  Conclusion:  The ethanol extract of the Caparis plant had an antifungal effect on C. albicans and an antibacterial effect on S. mutans. However, the inhibitory and lethal effects against bacterial and fungal strains were lower than those of nystatin and chlorhexidine.

کلیدواژه ها:

Persian Medicine ، Mouthwash ، Immunosuppress ، Antifungal agents ، Antimicrobial agents ، Candida albicans Capparis spinosa ، Streptococcus mutans