Open Journal of Dentistry and Oral Medicine 4(2): 21-25, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ojdom.2016.040201 In-vitro Assessment of the Antibacterial Quality of Some Commonly Used Herbal and Non-herbal Toothpastes on Streptococcus mutans Awah, N. S. 1,* , Agu, K. C. 1 , Okorie, C. C. 1 , Okeke, C. B. 1 , Iloanusi, C. A. 1 , Irondi, C. R. 1 , Udemezue, O. I. 1 , Kyrian-Ogbonna, A. E. 1 , Anaukwu, C. G. 1 , Eneite, H. C. 1 , Ifediegwu M. C. 1 , Umeoduagu, N. D. 2 , Abah, N. H. 3 , Ekong, U. S. 4 1 Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria 2 Department of Microbiology, Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra, Nigeria 3 Federal School of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, Nigeria 4 Pharmaceutical Microbiology/Biotechnology Unit, Department of Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Uyo, Nigeria Copyright©2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract In-vitro assessment of the antibacterial quality of four commonly used brands of herbal toothpastes in comparison with their corresponding non-herbal toothpastes on Streptococcus mutans was examined. Eight brands of commercially available toothpastes comprising of four herbal and non-herbal brands respectively were purchased in a local market in Awka South, Anambra State, Nigeria. The herbal brands selected were designated AH, BH, CH and DH and their respective non-herbal brands designated ANH, BNH, CNH and DNH served as positive controls. The use of distilled water served as negative control. The antibacterial activity evaluation was performed using agar well diffusion method. Different concentrations of toothpastes were made by 2-fold serial dilution method using sterile distilled water as diluents. Inhibition zones were measured in millimeters after 24hrs. Among the non-herbal toothpastes, triclosan containing toothpaste gave the highest zone of inhibition compared to non-triclosan toothpastes. The herbal toothpaste of each brand gave better inhibition result in comparison with their corresponding non-herbal brands. BH toothpaste gave maximum inhibition followed by AH, CH and lastly DH toothpastes. The result of this study indicates that herbal toothpastes are marginally better in inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans; although both herbal and non-herbal toothpastes were equally effective in reducing pathogenic plaque and maintaining oral hygiene. Keywords In-vitro Assessment, Antibacterial Quality, Herbal, Non-herbal Toothpastes, Streptococcus mutans 1. Introduction In Nigeria, as in other developing countries, very significant proportion of dental problems are due to dental biofilms generally known as dental plaque. Dental bio-films are a complex community of microorganisms found on the tooth surface embedded in a matrix of polymers of bacterial and salivary origin. There are several strategies for managing bio-films [1]. It has been reported that more than 500 bacterial strains which are opportunistic may be found in dental plaque [2]. Poor oral hygiene is one of the reasons for accumulation of these microbes and their harmful activities [3]. Tooth brushing with toothpaste is the most widely practiced form of oral hygiene in most countries [4]. The most common oral hygiene aid used to improve the oral health of an individual is the toothbrush [5]. Daily personal oral hygiene (tooth brushing and flossing) is recommended in the interest of good hygiene and for the control of dental plaque [6]. The success of any toothpaste, in part, lies in its ability to eliminate pathogenic oral microflora and deliver fluoride to the teeth which most effectively protects both deciduous and permanent teeth from dental caries [7]. However, fluorides are not the only active ingredients in toothpastes for overall test performance in oral hygiene. Also important are the cleaning abilities of toothpaste provided by abrasives, as the antibacterial qualities, which, in turn, are provided by a variety of substances with different abilities to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the oral cavity, as well as a number of excipients which are incorporated with specific aims to solve specific problems [8]. The term surfactant is a blend of "surface active agents". Surfactants are usually organic compounds that are amphiphilic, that is, they contain both hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads. The hydrophobic and hydrophilic