Antibacterial Potential of Gall Extract of Quercus infectoria against Enterococcus faecalis-an in vitro Study

Background: Various herbal products are being tried to treat common ailments. Such a trend is witnessed in dentistry also. Gall extract of Quercus infectoria has been found to possess antibacterial properties against some common oral pathogens. Aim: To assess the antibacterial property and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gall extract of Quercus infectoria against Enterococcus faecalis. Settings and Design: In vitro experimental study-Laboratory setting. Materials and Methods: Dried galls of Quercus infectoria were crushed into small pieces and powdered in an electric grinder. About 250 g of the powder was packed into a Soxhlet apparatus and extracted using methanol as the solvent. The crude extract was dried and stored in sterile bottle. The antibacterial property of gall exract of Quercus infectoria against Enterococcus faecalis was assessed by the disc diffusion method. The zone of inhibition was measured using vernier calipers. The minimum inhibitory concentration of gall extract was assessed by a two-fold serial dilution method. Sodium hypochlorite (2%) and Chlorhexidine (2%) were used as positive controls and dimethyl sulphoxide was used as the negative control in the study. Results: The zone of inhibition of gall extract against Enterococcus faecalis was found to increase with increasing volumes of gall extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the gall extract against Enterococcus faecalis was 16.6 µl/ml. Conclusion: Methanolic extract of galls of Quercus infectoria was found to possess antibacterial property against Enterococcus faecalis.