Antibacterial Effect of Salvadora persica Extract on Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Gingivitis Patients

Salvadora persica (miswak) is traditionally used as a natural oral hygiene tool. This study investigates the antibacterial activity of hot aqueous miswak extract against Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with gingivitis. Fifty samples were collected from patients diagnosed with gingivitis at a primary health center in Babylon Governorate between January and June 2025. Bacterial isolates were identified using standard microbiological methods. Miswak extract was prepared in concentrations of 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. The antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method and compared with conventional antibiotics: vancomycin, carbenicillin, and piperacillin. The Staphylococcus aureus isolates were gotten, 4 isolates from males (26.66%) and 11 isolates from females (73.33%). There was no significant difference between the infection rate of bacterial isolates and the use of miswak (P=0.37), the occurrence of bleeding in the gums (P=0.36), and smoking (P=0.37). The miswak extract at a concentration of (50%) showed a greater effect than the other concentrations, as the inhibition zone was (9.86) mm with highly significant differences at the probability level concentrations of extract. (P<0.05), in addition to the presence of significant differences between the effect of Miswak at concentrations (30%, 40%, 50%) and the sensitivity of the isolates to vancomycin, Pipracillin and carbenicillin. The higher the concentration of the aqueous extract of Miswak, the greater the effect on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from gingivitis compared to some types of antibiotics.