Preliminary phytochemical screening and In vitro Antibacterial Activity of Mitragyna speciosa Korth Leaf Extract Against Streptococcus mutans

Abstract

Mitragyna speciosa Korth or Kratom is an herb widely chewed the fresh leaves by the local people as traditional medicine for treating chronic pain, emotional or mental conditions and as a stimulant to improve energy. Kratom leaves also contain many bioactive compounds that affect the growth of Streptococcus mutans which causes dental caries. That is still a problem and is very common today. Therefore, the study aimed to screen the phytochemical compounds and evaluate the antibacterial activity of Kratom leaf extract against S. mutans ATCC 25175, the oral pathogen prominent in dental caries. Phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract of Kratom leaves was performed. Then, the antibacterial activity of the extract was assessed by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) by broth dilution method. The acid production of S. mutans was evaluated through the glycolytic pH drop assay. The results of this study revealed that the Kratom leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic and compounds. Moreover, the extract had a MIC of 3.125 mg/mL and MBC of 100 mg/mL against S. mutans. The ethanolic extract at a concentration of 3.0 mg/mL showed the greatest effect against acid production in S. mutans, with the initial pH drop rate at 0.026 unit/min. This study indicates that the ethanolic leaf extract of M. speciosa exhibiting antibacterial activities against S. mutans.It also suggests the possibility of using this plant as a natural antibacterial agent used in the prevention and treatment of dental caries.