Antibacterial activity of cow urine on oral cariogenic bacteria-an in-vitro study

Background: Dental caries is an ubiquitous disease that results from the interaction of specific bacteria and constituents of the diet within plaque formed on the tooth surfaces. Streptococcus mutans is considered as the main Cariogenic microorganism associated with dental caries. Cow urine acts as a most competent agent against a wide range of gram negative and gram-positive bacteria. Thus, the present study was undertaken to analyze the efficacy of Cow urine on Oral Cariogenic Bacteria in-vitro. Objectives: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Cow urine on salivary s.mutans counts in caries active individual (In-vitro). To compare the antimicrobial activity of Cow urine with commercially available mouth rinses i.e., Chlorhexidine. Materials and method: Distillates prepared from cow urine and Chlorhexidine samples were assessed for its antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans using agar well diffusion method. Statistical analysis was performed with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: Both Cow urine and Chlorhexidine samples showed potent antimicrobialactivity ranging from 2-5µg/ml against dental caries pathogens, S. mutans. A statistically significant (p<0.05) zone of inhibition was observed for all samples against S. mutans. However, Cow urine resisted the micro-organisms effectively equivalent to Chlorhexidine. Conclusion Samples of cow urine and Chlorhexidine were found to be effective with therapeutic potential against dental caries pathogens. Use of cow urine can be of great importance in treating diseases, especially the microbial one.