Triphala: Is it a Competent Guardian Against Oral Pathogens- An In Vitro Study

Triphala is an ayurvedic herbal formulation consisting of the dried fruits of three medicinal plants Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, and Phyllanthus embelica which has antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory property. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Triphala against oral pathogens. The standard stock culture of microorganisms was isolated from 20 patients with different types of dental infections. The efficacy of Triphala against microbial type culture collection was evaluated using agar gel diffusion. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were obtained using broth dilution method. MIC of Triphala against Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Clostridium bacilli, Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus isolates was 25%, 25%, 12.5%, and 12.5%, respectively. Triphala seems to be a promising alternative for the control of oral diseases in terms of antimicrobial response.