Antimicrobial activity of propolis against Streptococcus mutans

The ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) obtained from beehives of honeybee (Apis mellifera) was investigated for its antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus mutans isolated from dental caries. Agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations were the methods used in this study. The carious tooth was swabbed with a sterile cotton wool and immediately streaked on tryptic soy agar, incubated at 37°C for 48 - 72 h. S. mutans was characterized by standard cultural, morphological and biochemical methods. Several dilutions of EEP were made (0.5 - 32 μg/ml), while water and ethanol were used as controls. The EEP at concentrations of 4, 8, 16 and 32 μg/ml showed strong antimicrobial activity against S. mutans with inhibition zones of 10 ± 4, 12 ± 4, 20 ± 2 and 24 ± 2 mm, respectively. There were medium to maximum growth of S. mutans in the controls of ethanol and water. The results demonstrate that the ethanol extract of propolis has a strong antimicrobial activity and suggest that it may be useful in the treatment of dental caries caused majorly by S. mutans.Key words: Dental caries, antimicrobial activity, Apis mellifera, Streptococcus mutans, ethanol extract of propolis

Evaluation of the sodium hypochlorite concentration method of detecting acid-fast bacilli from sputum of patients in Central Hospital, Delta state, Nigeria

The use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was revalidated in the laboratory diagnosis of acid fast bacilli (AFB) against the long existing direct smear Zeihl-Neelsen method to ascertain the more sensitive and reliable method. Sputum from 260 patients, aged 20-52 years attending the Chest Clinic of the Central Hospital Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria were examined for acid-fast bacilli by direct microscopy and centrifugation following treatment with 3.5% sodium hypochlorite. The percentage positive cases rose from 6.92% for direct smear to 28.85% after treatment with sodium hypochlorite. This was found to be statistically significant (p<0.0001). The sodium hypochlorite concentration improved specificity from 43.33% to 56.67% and sensitivity from 19.35% to 80.65%. Thus, the sodium hypochlorite concentration method may be more sensitive and reliable for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in laboratories. Hence, it could be recommended for use in Tuberculosis Control Programme in Nigeria and can be adapted to suit local needs of rapid diagnosis.Keywords: Tuberculosis, Acid-fast, sodium hypochlorite, Bacilli, rapid diagnosis International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(4): 357-360, 200