Introduction:Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive staphylococci that form biofilms. Bacteria that dwell in bio-films tend to be highly resistant towards the action of antibiotics. S. aureus is a main cause of infections in the oral cavity such as angular cheilitis, endodontic infections, osteomyelitis of the jaw, parotitis and oral mucositis. Previous studies reported that S. aureus also spread to the other parts of the body through the circulatory system, which may lead to chronic infections. Hence the search for new antibacterial agents remains high and needs urgent attention to treat this problem. Plants offer a rich source of antimicrobial agents and bioactive compounds. In this study, aque-ous oil palm leaf extracts (OPLE) has been used as an alternative antibacterial agent against oral infections mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Many studies report the potential use of oil palm leaf extracts in treating bacterial infections such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus (isolated from other part of the body), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus sp. Although previous studies have documented the antimicrobial properties of oil palm leaf extracts, to date no study has been reported on the effect of oil palm leaf extract on oral microbes. Methods: The agar diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concen-tration (MBC) assay were conducted in order to observe the antibacterial activity of aqueous oil palm leaf extract. The crystal violet assay was used to determine the anti-biofilm activity of the extracts. Chlorhexidine and deionised distilled water were used as the positive and negative control respectively. For agar diffusion method, the diameter of inhibition zone was measured. Results: The inhibition zone of the tested bacteria was observed between 0-20mm. The MIC and MBC assay were used to know the lowest concentrations of the extract that inhibit the growth and killed the tested bacteria respectively. The MIC and MBC values for the tested bacteria were observed between 0-7.813mg/mL. While for anti-biofilm assays, OPLE aqueous extract acts as a potent anti-biofilm agent with dual actions, pre-venting and eradicating the biofilm of the tested bacteria. Conclusion: In conclusion, the tested plant extracts could serve as alternative natural antibacterial and anti-biofilm agent against oral infections.
Sembilan aktinomiset endofit telah berjaya dipencilkan daripada pokok yang mempunyai nilai ubatan dari beberapa tempat di Semenanjung Malaysia. Pencilan tersebut telah dikenalpasti melalui pemerhatian morfologi, amplifikasi gen 16S rRNA dan analisis penjujukan 16S rRNA. Saringan awal terhadap aktiviti antimikrob telah dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik calitan plat. Pembentukan miselium substrat dan aerial, warna jisim spora, pigmen larut dan morfologi rantai spora pada semua pencilan menyerupai Streptomyces sp. dan Microbispora sp. Analisis filogenetik jujukan separa 16S rRNA mendapati pencilan SUK 08, SUK 10 dan SUK 15 saling berkaitan dengan Streptomyceseurythermus ATCC 14975T. Walau bagaimanapun pencilan ini telah dipencilkan dari tumbuhan yang berbeza. Pencilan ini didapati mempunyai aktiviti antimikrob terhadap bakteria dan kulat kajian. Empat pencilan aktif iaitu SUK 08, SUK10, SUK 12 dan SUK 15 berupaya untuk membunuh dan merencat sehingga 100% satu atau lebih organisma patogen seperti Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani dan Trichoderma viride. Kajian ini mengesahkan bahawa tumbuhan etnoperubatan adalah sumber pencarian aktinomiset endofit bioaktif yang berupaya menjadi sumber novel dalam pencarian agen antibakteria dan antimikotik.