Antimicrobial Efficacy of Herbex and Himalaya Herbal Toothpastes: An In Vitro Experimental Study

Recently, toothpastes containing herbal antimicrobial ingredients have gained popularity due to their reduced side effects. This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of two herbal toothpastes and a nonherbal type on pathogens responsible for caries and periodontal disease.

Full and 1:3 concentrations of two herbal toothpastes (Himalaya® and Herbex®) and a nonherbal type as the positive control (Crest® cavity protection) were prepared. Sterile distilled water was considered as the negative control. Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacillus casei, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A.a) were cultivated on agar plates and incubated after adding toothpaste preparations. The diameter of the inhibition zone was measured in millimeters. Two-way analysis of variance and Tukey Post-hoc tests were applied at P <0.05.

The mean margin diameter was higher in full concentration than the diluted 1:3 formula for all examined toothpastes (P <0.001). All three toothpaste types exerted a significant antimicrobial effect compared to the negative control (P <0.05). The antimicrobial effect of Herbex® on S. sobrinus was significantly lower than the positive control, and it was significantly less effective against S. mutans compared to Himalaya (P <0.05). Furthermore, the efficacy of Himalaya® on L. casei and A.a was significantly lower than the positive control (P <0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in other pair comparisons.

Considering the observed efficacy of herbal toothpastes against cariogenic bacteria and periopathogens, they potentially qualify as complementary agents for self-care oral hygiene procedures.