JOBIMB, 2020, Vol 8, No 2, 7-12 - 7 - Formulation of Antibacterial Mouthwash from Local Herbs: A Mini- Review Juman Nafea 1 , Harisun Yaakub 2 , Mohamed Faraj Edbeib 3 , Kin Israel Notarte 4 , Sulaiman Mohammed, 1,5 * and Fahrul Huyop 1 * 1 Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia. 2 Institute of Bioproduct Development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysia. 3 Department of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medical Technology, Baniwalid University, 12499 Baniwalid, Libya. 4 Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, España 1015, Manila, Philippines. 5 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, P.M.B 0127 Gombe, Nigeria. *Corresponding author: Fahrul Huyop, Sulaiman Mohammed, Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Malaysiaa. Email: fahrul@utm.my and sumulsu@yahoo.com INTRODUCTION There is an increasing awareness of the disadvantages of alcoholic mouthwash formulations due to their harmful chemicals, such as the cetylpyridinium chloride [CPC] and therefore an extemporaneously prepared herbal mouth-washes will be an option [1]. Thus, there is an increasing tendency towards replacing the commonly used mouthwashes with safer products made from natural ingredients that are less harmful and amenable of giving the same or better effects compared to chemical mouthwash. Several mouthwash companies are now trying to reduce the number of harmful chemicals in their mouthwash formulations by replacing them with more natural ingredients inspired by homemade-developed recipes. This mini review aims to look into the potential of developing a new kind of mouthwash that is safer, user friendly, and made mainly from herbal ingredients. Studies on the development and commercialization of a mouthwash made mainly from herbs are gaining popularity. Understanding the role of naturally existing chemicals in herbs and the overall benefits they could impart to oral health and hygiene are the focused of this review. This could also raise awareness of the potential harm that chemical mouthwash formulations may exert on the oral cavity and to its natural and beneficial microbiota. Therefore, investigation in this aspect will HISTORY Received: 14 Aug 2020 Received in revised form: 17 Nov 2020 Accepted: 20 Nov 2020 ABSTRACT Commercially available mouthwash formulations are often medicated and contain chemicals that may elicit adverse effects to the users. A mouthwash may be recommended for its efficacy in preventing dental caries and other oral conditions due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Therefore, it is essential to raise awareness in selecting for an appropriate mouthwash that is safe to be applied to the oral cavity and its natural microflora. The interest towards the incorporation of herbal ingredients in oral products has been increasing exponentially over the years. The main objective of this review is to highlight our consumption of food and herbal products, such as Aleppo oak, clove and turmeric, that contain medicinal properties and have the potential to be developed as key components in mouthwash formulations. Thus, reliance on the use of chemicals may lessen as they could have a negative impact to one’s oral health. KEYWORDS mouthwash natural products oral health mouth cavities plaques caries JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Website: http://journal.hibiscuspublisher.com/index.php/JOBIMB/index JOBIMB VOL 8 NO 2 2020 Rituximab