Antimicrobial properties of Ethiopian chewing sticks against Candida albicans

Ethnobotanical survey was done in Jimma, Ethiopia, to identify the plants used for oral hygiene and evaluate the same against a selected oral pathogen. The survey revealed the use of chewing sticks to manage oral hygiene/infection. In spite of their wide use, very little has been done to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Hence 11 chewing stick plants were chosen for antimicrobial study against an oral pathogen – Candida albicans the causative organism for oral candidiasis by agar well diffusion (Perez, 1991). The results revealed that Olea europaea extract showed maximum inhibition on its own. The activity of Justicia schimperiana was increased to three fold when combined with cinnamon and brown honey. The research documents the use of chewing sticks to manage oral infection caused by Candida albicans, which will be of immense assistance to developing countries with financial constraints and limited health care facilities.