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Background: Emerging drug resistance and hindrance of treatment is provoking scientists to search new, less expensive medicinally active compounds. Dental diseases caused by oral pathogens are very frequent chronic infections around the world. The medical potentials of a lot of Pakistani local herbs and herbal combinations is relatively unknown, hence attempted to explore. A study was designed to investigate potential role of local medicinal herbs for example Miswak, Kalonji & Aloe vera as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-proliferative agents against oral pathogens and cancer cell line. Methods: Medicinal extracts were prepared in solvents of different polarities. Their antimicrobial activity was determined alone and in combination against oral pathogens. Antioxidant activity was evaluated through Catalase and Superoxide dismutase assay and anti-proliferative activity was evaluated through 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay. Results: Plant extracts alone and in combinations were found significantly effective as antimicrobial agent against standard ATCC strains of C. albicans and S. aureus (P '0.001 ). Especially Miwak extract was found highly significant against fungus. Extracts of Kalonji were found significant in inhibiting growth of HeLa cell lines. Miswak and Kalonji showed significant levels of antioxidant activity. Conclusion: Medicinal herbs Miswak and Kalonji have potential to be used for therapeutic purposes. Results suggested that herbal medicinal composition can be prepared using these extracts after applying scientific standardization methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the antimicrobial, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of ethanolic, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts of Psidiumguajava leaves. Methods: The antimicrobial activity was assessed using disc diffusion method on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. The anti-proliferative activity was determined on HeLa cell lines. The anti-proliferative activity was assessed using MTT assay while antioxidant activity was determined using catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays. Results: The MTT results indicate that ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts have significantly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells as compared to the control. Antioxidant assays showed that catalase activity was insignificant for all extracts however the SOD activity was significant. All the extracts showed inhibitory zones against B. cereus while only ethanolic extract of P. guajava leaves was active against S. aureus. Conclusion: Psidiumguajava plant leaves extracts can be used as antiproliferative agent against HeLa cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]