• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.284-293
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• 2006

We have tested 41 herbal medicines to search for a natural substance with antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and five types of oral bacteria. We have also investigated antioxidative activity of these herbal medicines. Antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and five types of oral bacteria was analyzed using ethanol extracts of herbal medicines. Extracts from Illicium verum and Amomum xanthioides showed 98% inhibitory activity against Sterptococcus mutans. The effect of Thuja orientalis on S-1 and Thuja orientalis and Amomum xanthioides on S-2 were 95% and 94%, respectively. Nelumbo nucifera was 94% effective on S-5. The inhibitory activities of the herbal medicines against glucosyltransferase (GTase) were determined using purified from Streptococcus mutans and five types of oral bacteria. Extract from Illicium verum and Amomum xanthioides showed 94% effectiveness on Streptococcus mutans. Amomum xanthioides showed 95% effectiveness on S-1 and Thuja orientalis showed 96% effectiveness on S-5. In antioxidant activities of the herbal medicines, extract from Thuja orientalis showed the highest level of 81.08% DPPH radical scavenging activity and Illicium velum extract also showed high antioxidative activity of 80.45%. Thuja orientalis had a large amount of phenolic compound with $115.24\;{\mu}g/mL$ among the herbal medicines.