Members of the genus Actinomyces are predominant primary colonizers of the oral cavity and play an important role in initiating plaque development. These bacteria have evolved unique mechanisms that favor colonization and persistence in this micro-environment. The expression of cell-surface fimbriae is correlated with the ability of these bacteria to adhere to specific receptors on the tooth an...

In early dental plaque formation, oral primary colonizers such as Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinomyces viscosus are initially attached to the pellicle-coated tooth surface to form a biofilm. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of macelignan, isolated from nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.), in removing each single oral primary biofilm in vitro on a polystyrene 96-we...

The effectiveness of 4.0% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) used with three irrigation methods in the elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from the root canal was tested in vitro. Root canals contaminated with E. faecalis were treated as follows: (i) irrigation with 2 mL of NaOCl solution and agitation with hand files; (ii) irrigation with 2 mL of NaOCl solution and ultrasonic agitation; (iii) irriga...

Earlier studies on the respiratory systems in symbiotic nitrogen fixation (Wilson, 1938) indicated that the root nodule bacteria (Rhizobium spp.) reduce methylene blue anerobically in the presence of many organic compounds. With few exceptions, the efficiency of a given substrate as a hydrogen donator was approximately the same whether molecular oxygen or methylene blue was used as the hydrogen...

In the present investigation, aqueous, ethanol and petroleum ether, ethanol (1:1) root extracts of Seidenfia rheedii were tested against 12 different human pathogenic bacteria for antibacterial activity. It was found that ethanolic extracts inhibited the growth of all the bacterial strains tested whereas moderate antibacterial activity was associated with petroleum ether, ethanol (1:1) root ext...