Integrated bioactivity analysis of branded mouthwash preparations: Antimicrobial effectiveness and antioxidant strength

Abstract

Oral hygiene is essential for general health maintenance. Poor oral hygiene causes numerous mouth disorders including caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, and systemic illnesses. Recently, mouthwash usage has become a well-known tool for oral hygiene. The aim of this research was comparative analysis of different brands of mouthwashes for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Methods: Seven commercially available mouthwashes (i.e., Enziclor®, Protect®, Colgate Plax®, Listerine FreshBurst^®, Closeup^®, Touchme Minto^®, and Oral-B^® in Pakistan were selected. This research was carried out in vitro in a lab setting. The Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of mouthwashes against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Out of seven selected mouthwashes, (Protect^® was the most effective mouthwash that showed the highest zone of Inhibition against the majority of tested bacterial strains [Inhibition zone diameter against Bacillus subtilis (20.5±2.121mm), Inhibition zone diameter against Escherichia coli (20±0.0 mm), Inhibition zone diameter against Staphylococcus aureus(18.5±0.7 mm) and Inhibition zone diameter against Staphylococcus epidermidis (18.00±0.000mm)]. On the other hand, (Listerine FreshBurst^® showed no zone of Inhibition against any of the tested strains. The antioxidant activity of mouthwashes was evaluated by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The (Protect^® had the highest percentage of Inhibition (87.76%) of antioxidant activity. On the other hand, Enziclor^® had the lowest % Inhibition (55.17%±0.25) among all mouthwashes. Within the limitations of research, the current study demonstrated that mouthwashes had variable antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.