This preprint describes the in vitro evaluation of herbal, fluoride-based, and alcohol-based oral care products against Streptococcus spp. Among the many bacterial species present in the human mouth, Streptococcus species are some of the most well-known and studied due to their significant role in the development of dental diseases, particularly dental caries (tooth decay). Their ability to form biofilms and ferment dietary carbohydrates makes them a critical target in preventive oral care strategies. The present study investigates and compares the antimicrobial effectiveness of three widely used oral hygiene formulations—Dabur Red herbal toothpaste, Sensopil fluoride-based toothpaste, and Listerine antiseptic mouthwash—against oral Streptococcus spp. isolated from dental calculus samples. Oral dental calculus samples were first collected aseptically from participants, and initial culturing revealed the presence of several distinct bacterial colonies. These isolates were subjected to Gram staining and the catalase test, through which the organisms were confirmed to belong to the Streptococcus species. For subsequent comparative analysis—conducted after brushing with toothpaste or rinsing with mouthwash—Mitis Salivarius Agar was employed, as it selectively supports the growth of Streptococcus spp. CFU counts obtained on this medium were used to assess and compare the antimicrobial effects of the herbal toothpaste, fluoride toothpaste, and Listerine mouthwash. In the control group (no brushing), a dense bacterial lawn was observed, representing approximately 100 CFU and serving as the baseline. Sensopil showed no reduction in Streptococcus populations (100 → 100 CFU), indicating 0% inhibition. Listerine demonstrated only a slight antimicrobial effect, reducing the count marginally from 100 to 95 CFU (~5% reduction). In contrast, Dabur Red herbal toothpaste exhibited the most pronounced antimicrobial activity, with colony counts reduced to 25–30 CFU at the 10⁻⁷ dilution (~70% reduction) and further to 7–8 CFU at the 10⁻⁸ dilution (~92% reduction). Overall, the findings show that while Sensopil and Listerine exerted almost no inhibitory effects on Streptococcus spp., the herbal formulation (Dabur Red) produced a substantial reduction in bacterial load. These results highlight the potential of certain herbal formulations as effective alternatives in oral microbial management. Further comparative studies would help validate these results and outline the relevance of these findings for real-life oral hygiene. "This work is a preprint and has not undergone peer review."
Lakhanpal et al. (Wed,) studied this question.