Comparative analysis of various antimicrobial agents present in locally available mouthwashes against oral pathogens

Oral cavity exhibits general health of the body and affects the quality of life. Poor hygienic conditions are associated with chronic and systemic diseases. There are almost 750 species of various microorganisms which exist in oral cavity and most of these are involved in oral diseases. Among these, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans are the most common opportunistic pathogens. This study was conducted to find out the effects of various mouthwashes available in Pakistan, against oral pathogens. It was focused on the determination of most effective products through their antimicrobial activity using agar well diffusion and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assays. Out of selected (n=10) mouthwash (containing benzydamine hydrochloride, chlorhexidine gluconate, cetylpyridinium chloride, triclosan and hydrogen peroxide etc. as antimicrobial agents) formulations / brands 2, 7 and 9 inhibited the selected pathogens. Comparatively, formulations 4, 6 and 8 exhibited moderate level inhibition with some exceptions. Rest of the oral products showed less inhibitory activity against oral pathogens. Results of different mouthwashes containing various antimicrobial agents in association with other inactive ingredients, varied. Various formulations are responsible for different (as some showed higher while others lower) antimicrobial activities. ANOVA was performed and highly significant (P<0.01) values referring to different oral care products, observed.