Fitoterapia 71 Ž2000.

321᎐323

Short report

Antibacterial activity of xanthorrhizol from

Curcuma xanthorrhiza against oral
pathogens
J.K. HwangU , J.S. Shim, Y.R. Pyun
Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering & Bioproducts Research Center, Yonsei
Uni¨ ersity, Seoul 120-749, South Korea

Received 11 September 1999; accepted in revised form 2 November 1999

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of xanthorrhizol, isolated from the methanol extract of Curcuma
xanthorrhiza roots, was evaluated against oral microorganisms in comparison with chlorhexi-
dine. 䊚 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Curcuma xanthorrhiza; Xanthorrhizol; Antibacterial activity

Plant. Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. ŽZingiberaceae., dried rhizomes collected in

Yokjakarta, Indonesia, in January 1998 and identified by Dr N.I. Baek, Institute of
Life Science, Kyunghee University, Yongin 449-701, Korea. A voucher specimen is
deposited in Bioproducts Research Center, Yonsei University.

Uses in traditional medicine and reported activities. Curcuma xanthorrhiza has

been traditionally used to treat stomach diseases, liver disorders, constipation,
bloody diarrhoea, dysentery, children’s fevers, haemorrhoids, and skin eruptions
w1,2x. Antitumor w3x, hypotriglyceridaemic w4x, anti-inflammatory w5x, and hepatopro-
tective w6x activities have been reported.

U
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: jkhwang@yonsei.dc.kr ŽJ.K.Hwang.

0367-326Xr00r$ - see front matter 䊚 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 3 6 7 - 3 2 6 X Ž 9 9 . 0 0 1 7 0 - 7
322 J.K. Hwang et al. r Fitoterapia 71 (2000) 321᎐323

Previously isolated constituents. Arturmenone, ␣-curcumene, ␤-curcumene, curz-

erenone, germacrone, ␤-sesquiphellandrene, ␣-turmerone, ␤-turmerone, and xan-
thorrhizol w7x.

Tested material. Xanthorrhizol Ž1,3,5,10-bisabolatetraen-3-ol. w8x Žyield: 0.2%.,

isolated from the EtOAc soluble fraction Ž4.8. of the MeOH extract Ž11.2..

Studied activity. Antibacterial activity determined in terms of minimum inhibitory

concentration ŽMIC. w9x and minimum bactericidal concentration ŽMBC. w10x using
chlorexidine as active reference substance.

Used microorganisms. Listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Antibacterial activity of xanthorrhizol a

Bacteria Xanthorrhizol Chlorhexidine

MIC MBC MIC MBC

Actinomyces ¨ iscosus KCTC 9146 16 16 4 4

Candida albicans ATCC 10231 125 250 32 32
Lactobacillus casei ATCC 4646 250 500 32 64
Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 500 500 32 32
Porphyromonas gingi¨ alis W50 32 32 8 16
Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 2 4 1 2
Streptococcus sali¨ arius ATCC 13419 4 8 2 2
Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 27351 4 4 4 4
Streptococcus sanguis ATCC 35105 4 8 2 4
a
MIC, MBC as ␮grml.

Results. Reported in Table 1.

Conclusions. Xanthorrhizol exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against

Streptococcus species causing dental caries w11x and also demonstrated antibacterial
potential against A. ¨ iscosus and P. gingi¨ alis which are responsible for periodonti-
tis w12x. In contrast, C. albicans and Lactobacillus species were somewhat resistant
to xanthorrhizol. These results suggest that xanthorrhizol could find application in
food and dental products for preventing oral diseases.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation
ŽKOSEF. through the Bioproducts Research Center at Yonsei University.
 J.K. Hwang et al. r Fitoterapia 71 (2000) 321᎐323 323

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