Ethnopharmacological study, evaluation of antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities of extracts from plants used in the management of dental caries: a comparative study

Ethnopharmacological study, evaluation of antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities of extracts from plants used in the management of dental caries: a comparative study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Ethnopharmacological study, evaluation of antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities of extracts from plants used in the management of dental caries: a comparative study Remi Ridha Nsatar, Michel Noubom, Irene Memeh Tumanjong, Marie Stephanie Chekem Goka, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8643390/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Dental caries is a highly prevalent and costly biofilm-dependent disease that affects about 2.3 billion people in their permanent teeth and 532 million people in their primary teeth according to the World Health Organization. The condition is often accompanied by inflammation of the pulp and root apex. Given the high cost of dental procedures, and also the toxicity and antimicrobial resistance linked to antibiotic use, emphasis should be placed on prevention and alternative therapies. Hence, the present study was aimed at evaluating, in a comparative way, the ethnopharmacology of some plants used in the management of dental caries. Information on plants used, the reasons for their usage and other information was collected from respondents using a questionnaire. Quantitative phytochemical analysis and evaluation of free radical scavenging (antioxidant) activity of hydroethanolic extracts were done using spectrophotometry. Anti-cariogenic activity was assessed in vitr o by the broth microdilution method, while antibiofilm activity was evaluated using both microdilution and crystal violet assays. Lytic activity and outer membrane permeability assays of extracts were determined using spectrophotometric. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of phenolic compounds in concentrations ranging from 142,57 ± 2,49 mg GAE/g to 89,64 ± 0,61 mg GAE/g. Flavonoid content on its part varied from 37,48 ± 1,75 mg QE/g to 5,64 ± 0,22 mg QE/g and total tannin content ranged from 18,46 ± 0,75 mg TAE/g to 0,18 ± 0,43 mg TAE/g. Antioxidant evaluation showed DPPH IC₅₀ values ranging from 1,12 ± 0,11 to 12286,28 ± 1,14 µg/ml, and FRAP values were between 110,51 ± 0,25 and 135,03 ± 0,33 mmol FeSO 4 /g. Hydroxyl scavenging activity on its part was concentration dependent with extracts showing significant activities. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) ranged from 64 to 1024 µg/ml while Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs) ranged from 128 to 1024 µg/ml. All extracts showed important antibiofilm activity at MICs and sub-MICs as well as good lytic and outer membrane permeability activities. Hydroethanolic extracts of plants in the present study showed good anticariogenic and antioxidant activities. The high phenolic contents could explain their anti-inflammatory activities. It is therefore concluded that, the plants investigated and their phytochemical constituents can be promising sources of new anticariogenic and antibacterial agents for the prevention and management of dental caries. Dental caries Ethnopharmacology Anticariogenic Antibiofilm Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Questionnaire.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 30 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 13 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 13 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 02 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 02 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8643390","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":614954421,"identity":"ead258a2-990b-4f02-8ec7-b3d637305053","order_by":0,"name":"Remi Ridha Nsatar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Dschang","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Remi","middleName":"Ridha","lastName":"Nsatar","suffix":""},{"id":614954422,"identity":"37506a10-3ee5-47f6-b170-e8a7738fc9c8","order_by":1,"name":"Michel Noubom","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of 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Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Dental caries, Ethnopharmacology, Anticariogenic, Antibiofilm, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8643390/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8643390/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eDental caries is a highly prevalent and costly biofilm-dependent disease that affects about 2.3\u0026nbsp;billion people in their permanent teeth and 532\u0026nbsp;million people in their primary teeth according to the World Health Organization. The condition is often accompanied by inflammation of the pulp and root apex. Given the high cost of dental procedures, and also the toxicity and antimicrobial resistance linked to antibiotic use, emphasis should be placed on prevention and alternative therapies. Hence, the present study was aimed at evaluating, in a comparative way, the ethnopharmacology of some plants used in the management of dental caries.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInformation on plants used, the reasons for their usage and other information was collected from respondents using a questionnaire. Quantitative phytochemical analysis and evaluation of free radical scavenging (antioxidant) activity of hydroethanolic extracts were done using spectrophotometry. Anti-cariogenic activity was assessed \u003cem\u003ein vitr\u003c/em\u003eo by the broth microdilution method, while antibiofilm activity was evaluated using both microdilution and crystal violet assays. Lytic activity and outer membrane permeability assays of extracts were determined using spectrophotometric.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhytochemical analysis showed the presence of phenolic compounds in concentrations ranging from 142,57\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2,49 mg GAE/g to 89,64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,61 mg GAE/g. Flavonoid content on its part varied from 37,48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1,75 mg QE/g to 5,64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,22 mg QE/g and total tannin content ranged from 18,46\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,75 mg TAE/g to 0,18\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,43 mg TAE/g. Antioxidant evaluation showed DPPH IC₅₀ values ranging from 1,12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,11 to 12286,28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1,14 \u0026micro;g/ml, and FRAP values were between 110,51\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,25 and 135,03\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0,33 mmol FeSO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e/g. Hydroxyl scavenging activity on its part was concentration dependent with extracts showing significant activities. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) ranged from 64 to 1024 \u0026micro;g/ml while Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs) ranged from 128 to 1024 \u0026micro;g/ml. All extracts showed important antibiofilm activity at MICs and sub-MICs as well as good lytic and outer membrane permeability activities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHydroethanolic extracts of plants in the present study showed good anticariogenic and antioxidant activities. The high phenolic contents could explain their anti-inflammatory activities. It is therefore concluded that, the plants investigated and their phytochemical constituents can be promising sources of new anticariogenic and antibacterial agents for the prevention and management of dental caries.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Ethnopharmacological study, evaluation of antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities of extracts from plants used in the management of dental caries: a comparative study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-01 23:48:15","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8643390/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"20731338104811914491730078500214316605","date":"2026-03-31T03:41:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-30T17:55:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-13T09:17:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-13T09:16:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-03T02:12:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","date":"2026-03-02T22:20:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-complementary-medicine-and-therapies","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"bcam","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies](https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"4e6ec0bb-f976-4afc-972f-7f0a4e0dcc66","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 1st, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-11T01:23:15+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-01 23:48:15","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8643390","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8643390","identity":"rs-8643390","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}