Efeito do óleo essencial de Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. no controle químico do biofilme dentário

Abstract

The dental biofilm is responsible for promoting infectious oral diseases, but it can control both mechanically and chemically. Phytotherapy comes up as an alternative, and the essential oil of lemon grass shows promising as an auxiliary method on chemical biofilm control. In this context, the aim of the study was to perform the chemical analysis of essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus, obtained in a company that is reference on essence and essential oil distribution, as well as to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of the oil, and its toxicity on human cells. For the chemical analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used, and to identify the antimmicrobial effect, we determinate the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) on standard strains of Streptococcus mutans UA159 and Candida albicans ATCC90029,by the microdilution method on well technic. The obtained MIC served as a reference for the antibiofilm test. To determinate the antibiofilm activity, we developed a multispecies biofilm, with Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, verifying the inhibitory actions of biofilm formation and the mature biofilm removal, with spectrophotometry evaluation, through a plate reader at a wavelength of 525 nm. To identify the hemolytic activity, we used blood samples from five healthy donors, subjecting the erythrocytes preparation tho the serial concentrations of the essential oil on test, with later spectrophotometry reading, at 560nm. The data was tabulated, statistically analyzed and presented as tables and charts. The main compound of the essential oil was the citral. It was evidenced the antimicrobial activity of the product at bacterial MIC of 1000 µg/mL and fungal MIC at 125µg/mL, as well as the inhibitory effect on biofilm formation on every evaluated concentrations (p<0,05). However, the essential oil was not able to remove mature biofilm. Observed that the essential oil showed protective effect over human erythrocytes on concentrations less than 500µg/mL. Based on the used methodology, checks that the Cymbopogon citratus essential oil has antibiofilm potential, not being toxic to the human erythrocyte membrane.