EVALUATION OF PREVENTIVE ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF A GLASS‑IONOMER CEMENT CONTAINING PURIFED POWDER OF SALVIA OFFCINALIS: AN IN VITRO STUDY

In this study, the anti‑Streptococcus mutans and anti‑Lactobacillus casei properties of a restorative glass‑ionomer cement (GIC) modifed with extract powder of Salvia offcinalis as a safe and effective herbal extract at weight concentration levels of 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, and 1.25% are investigated. The S. offcinalis extract powder is provided by doing a multistep laboratory procedure and is fltered to obtain particles smaller than 50 µ. The GIC powder is modifed by adding extract powder in weight concentrations of 0.5% (Group II), 0.75% (Group III), 1% (Group IV), and 1.25% (Group V) to form experimental groups, each of 1 g. Five disk‑shaped samples, 1 cm in diameter and 2 mm height, of each group (including control group [Group I]) are prepared for each bacterial category of S. mutans and L. casei. The twenty‑fve samples for each category are tested in vitro against strains of S. mutans and L. casei. Following Agar diffusion tests, the inhibition zone diameters are recorded. The data are tested for normality by means of Kolmogorov–Smirnov procedure. The Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests are used to perform a one‑way ANOVA and to do pair‑wise comparisons, respectively, at 5% signifcance level. The mean diameter of the inhibition zones are signifcantly different among the test groups and also the test groups and the control group except for the group with 0.5% in L. casei category which shows no signifcant difference with the control group. The present study revealed direct inhibitory activitiesof S. offcinalis‑containing GIC against S. mutans and L. casei in a dose‑response manner.