Spices of Life: The Antimicrobial Properties of

Cinnamon, Clove, and Garlic on

Streptococcus mutans

Lola Agabalogun, Preeti Gondi, Gary Hoffman,

Tasneem Maner, Mehr Mathew, Xuewei Ouyang,

Jason Roth, Ali Siddiqui, Rich Tamirian,

Chelsea Taylor, Rachel Ying

Team 3

• Vegetable or plant

substance that contributes

flavor

• Antimicrobial properties

• Phytochemicals: benzene,

sulfur

• Extract v. Essential oils

• Cinnamon, Clove, and

Garlic

Spices

• Cinnamomum zeylanicum

• Cinnamomum trees

• Eugenol and cinnamaldehyde

• Antimicrobial properties

Cinnamon

• Syzygium aromaticum

• Dried product of immature flower buds

• Natural medicine, antioxidants

• Eugenol

• Antimicrobial properties

Clove

• Allium sativum

• Allicin

• Role in plant

• Effects in humans

• Antimicrobial properties

Garlic

Allicin

• Increase in activity

• Additive vs.

antagonistic effects

Synergy

• Non-motile bacterium found

in human mouth

o causes tooth decay

o found in crevices & pits of

teeth

• Uses sucrose to generate a

sticky polysaccharide → the

bacteria to stick to one another

→ lactic acid → plaque

Streptococcus mutans

Antiseptic solutions: • Fluoride - prevents dental caries

• Hydrogen peroxide – whitens teeth

• Chlorhexidine - strong antimicrobial

Mouthwash

• To determine the antimicrobial effects of garlic,

cinnamon, and clove on S. mutans in various

concentrations

• To test several mouthwashes to determine

which is most effective at killing S. mutans in the

mouth

Purpose

• In order of decreasing effectiveness against

bacteria:

o Garlic aqueous extract

o Cinnamon aqueous extract

o Clove aqueous extract

• Synergistic effects: garlic and cinnamon together

would be most effective at killing S. mutans

Hypothesis

Materials/Methods

20g/100mL

• Boiled- 15 minutes

• Filtered

Garlic

• Boiled- 15 minutes

• Centrifuged

Clove

• Boiled- 15 minutes

• Let stand 20 minutes

• Filtered

Cinnamon

photo 2 (7).jpg

photo 5 (10).jpg

Each well

o 1.5 mL tryptic soy broth

o 10 μL diluted spice extract

o 10 μL S. mutans culture

Minimum Inhibitory Concentration

0.00 μL 0.680 μL 1.25 μL 2.50 μL 5.00 μL 10.0 μL

cinnamon

garlic

clove

control

Paper Disk Diffusion Method

Materials/Methods

10 μL

30 μL

20 μL

40 μL

60 μL

50 μL

0 μL

30+ 30 μl

30+ 30 μl

30+ 30 μl

0 μl

cinna

garlic

clove

Mouthwash Experiment

Materials/Methods

• 10 μL on each filter disk

• Oasis

• ACT Bubble Gum Blowout

• Scope Outlast

• Listerine Antiseptic

• Listerine Zero

• Crest Pro-Health

• CareOne Anti-Septic

• Cepacol Antibacterial Rinse

Zone of Inhibition

Indication of Antimicrobial Activity

Results

Results

Results

Results

• Spices: No zones of inhibition → spices did not

kill any bacteria

• Mouthwashes: Zones of inhibition → effective

in killing bacteria

Interpretation of Results

• Ineffective extraction methods

o vacuum filtration

o ethanol & other compounds

o too much boiling

• Powdered state of the spices

o heating during processing

o dried already

• Use of extract instead of

essential oils

Possible Reasons for Unsupported

Hypothesis

• Paper disk diffusion

method o worked for mouthwashes

o circles of clove seen around some

disks

• Thickly spread bacteria o but thinly spread for second

experiment

• Not enough extract used o 60 μL used in second experiment

o some also soaked

Unlikely Possibilities

• Issues with sterilization

o led to contamination

• Overboiling and not stirring

• Non-uniform methods of extraction

• Spices transferred and concentration lost

• Pipetting errors

Error Analysis

Inhibitory Properties of Manufactured

Mouthwashes

Explanation of Our Mouthwash

Results

“kills the

germs that

cause bad

breath”

“helps

prevent

plaque and

gingivitis”

Before the experiment

• Consider testing various spices

• Consider testing various herbs

• Find appropriate method

• Consider testing essential oils instead of extracts

Suggestions for Future Scientists

During Preparation

• Use fresh spices

• Boil in ethanol or other solvent

• Use vacuum filtration

Suggestions for Future Scientists

• Imitate home-use method

o Use of common household items

• Home-use method was ineffective

• However, spice mouthwash is possible.

o extracted in lab

o sold commercially

• Process/production → not completely natural

o still attractive to consumers in comparison to chemical

mouthwash

Practical Applications

• Spice mouthwash cannot be prepared at home.

o Require advanced methods of extraction

• Spices extracted with water are not as effective

as mouthwashes.

• Spices still have potential as mouthwash.

Conclusion

• Sponsors:

o John and Laura Overdeck

o The Crimmins Family Charitable

Foundation

o Ina Zucchi Family Trust

o NJGSS Alumni and Parents 1984 –

2012

o Novartis

o Independent College Fund of New

Jersey

o Watson Pharmaceuticals

o Bayer Healthcare

o Roche

Acknowledgments

• NJGSS:

o Dr. Miyamoto

o Dr. Surace

o Myrna Papier

o Anna-Mae Dinio-Bloch

o Janet Quinn

o Rachel Sandler

o Lalita Nekkanti

o The Counselors

THE END