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Abstract

Introduction: Lactobacillus is one of the bacteria responsible for the formation of dental caries and is one of the most common oral microfloras. It is acidogenic bacteria which grow only in an acidic environment and in regions where there is ready access for carbohydrates. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment have alterations in their microflora which includes mainly the Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species. The aim of this study is to find the effect of watermelon juice against oral microflora such as Lactobacillus. Materials and Methods: A known quantity of watermelon is obtained from the local market and is made into juice without adding any additives. The juice is then filtered and is centrifuged at the rate of 300 rotations per minutes for 15 min. Two test tubes with 5 ml of the clear watermelon extract are taken. To one test tube, 0.5 g of sucrose is added and mixed well. A test tube containing 5 ml of saline is taken as control group. The solutions are autoclaved, and suspension of Lactobacillus is freshly prepared and 10 µl of the same is transferred to every cuvette containing the autoclaved solution. Then after a holding period of one 24 h, 10 µl of the watermelon extract containing the bacteria is pipetted into nutrient agar culture plate and bacterial colony growth is studied after the incubation period of 24 h. Results: Results showed that there is a decrease in the bacterial colony count in the culture plate containing watermelon solution when compared with the control group containing saline. When compared with the watermelon solution containing sucrose, the colony count was high in the latter. Conclusion: Watermelon being an acidic fruit has a significant effect against acidogenic oral microflora such as Lactobacillus and can used as an additional aid for oral hygiene maintenance in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

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	JPR Solutions

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