Rofidah Nur Umar, Ratna Arif, Choiru Rosyd Rosyd, Aliya Rahmi, Anita Anita

Aktivitas Antibakteri Ekstrak Etanol Akar Senggani (Melastoma malabathricum L.) Terhadap Bakteri Streptococcus mutans

Introduction

Aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak etanol akar senggani (melastoma malabathricum l.) terhadap bakteri streptococcus mutans. Temukan aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak etanol akar senggani (Melastoma malabathricum L.) terhadap Streptococcus mutans, bakteri penyebab kerusakan gigi. Potensi alami untuk gigi sehat.

Abstract

Kerusakan gigi merupakan masalah kesehatan gigi utama yang disebabkan oleh aktivitas bakteri, terutama Streptococcus mutans. Bakteri ini dapat merusak jaringan gigi melalui produksi enzim dan pembentukan plak. Pengobatan alternatif untuk menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri ini adalah penggunaan bahan alami, seperti ekstrak etanol akar senggani (Melastoma malabathricum L.), yang diketahui memiliki sifat antibakteri. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menentukan aktivitas antibakteri ekstrak etanol akar seggani terhadap Streptococcus mutans. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode difusi cakram pada media NA pada konsentrasi ekstrak 10%, 20%, dan 30%. Amoksisilin digunakan sebagai kontrol positif, dan DMSO sebagai kontrol negatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak 30% menunjukkan aktivitas penghambatan tertinggi dengan diameter zona penghambatan rata-rata 16,59 mm (kategori kuat), diikuti oleh 20% (12,08 mm) dan 10% (10,08 mm). Kontrol positif menunjukkan zona penghambatan 12,5 mm, sedangkan kontrol negatif tidak menunjukkan penghambatan.Kata kunci: Antibakteri; Melastoma malabathricum; Streptococcus mutans; Senggani

Review

This study addresses a pertinent public health issue concerning dental caries, primarily instigated by the bacterium *Streptococcus mutans*. The authors explore the antibacterial potential of a natural alternative, the ethanol extract from *Melastoma malabathricum* (Senggani) root, against this significant oral pathogen. The research is well-motivated by the growing interest in natural product-based therapies and the need for new strategies to combat microbial resistance and reduce reliance on synthetic antibiotics in oral health. The stated objective, to determine the antibacterial activity of this specific extract, is clear and directly tackles the proposed problem. Employing a standard disc diffusion method across varying extract concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%), the methodology is straightforward and appropriate for an initial screening. The inclusion of amoxicillin as a positive control and DMSO as a negative control provides valuable benchmarks for comparison and validates the experimental setup. The results unequivocally demonstrate a dose-dependent antibacterial activity, with the 30% extract exhibiting the strongest inhibition, manifesting a remarkable average zone diameter of 16.59 mm. Notably, this level of inhibition surpasses that achieved by the positive control, amoxicillin (12.5 mm), positioning the 30% Senggani root extract as a highly promising candidate for antimicrobial development. Overall, the findings presented in this abstract are compelling and suggest a strong potential for *Melastoma malabathricum* root extract in combating *Streptococcus mutans*. The comparative effectiveness against a standard antibiotic like amoxicillin is particularly encouraging. While the abstract provides a solid foundation, future research should delve deeper into the extract's specific phytochemical composition responsible for this activity, its minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, and its potential cytotoxicity. Furthermore, *in vivo* studies would be crucial to ascertain its efficacy and safety within a biological system, paving the way for its eventual application in novel dental care formulations. This preliminary work significantly contributes to the field of natural product drug discovery for oral health.

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