Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack: A Potential Plant for Treatment of Toothache

Toothache is a common problem throughout the world and can arise from causes like tooth decay and infected gums. While the former is treated with pain-relieving drugs, the latter may need treatment with antibiotics. Common pain-relieving drugs like Paracetamol, Aspirin and Diclofenac can produce adverse side-effects, while antibiotic use can lead to development of drug-resistant vectors, as well as adverse side-effects. Moreover, the majority of rural people of Bangladesh lack access to or cannot afford modern drugs and allopathic doctors. Medicinal plants can form an alternative, readily available and affordable way to treat toothache. In this review, we discuss the phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial and analgesic properties of a medicinal plant, Murraya paniculata, which has ethnomedicinal uses in the Indian sub-continent for treatment of toothache. We conclude that this plant can form an effective remedy for toothache treatment and merits scientific attention towards discovery of possibly novel drugs.