Effectiveness of Bay Leaf Ethanol Extract (Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp.) in Inhibiting The Growth of Staphylococcus aureus: Study in Vitro
Abstract
Normal flora in the oral cavity mostly consists of commensal bacteria, but under certain conditions, these bacteria can develop into pathogens and cause infections, one of which is Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria can cause various diseases in the oral cavity such as abscesses, stomatitis, and gingivitis, especially when the immune system is weak. Treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus often requires the use of antibiotics, but improper use can trigger antibiotic resistance. Bay leaves (Syzygium polyanthum w) contain antibacterial activity in secondary metabolite compounds, namely essential oils, saponins, tannins, and alkaloids. This study aims to determine the effect of 70% ethanol extract of bay leaves (Syzygium polyanthum w) in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. This study was an experimental laboratory study with a post-test only control group design. This study was divided into 5 treatment groups consisting of 3 treatment groups and 2 control groups. S.aureus was grown on Muller Hinton Agar media. Each treatment group was given bay leaf ethanol extract with concentrations of 50%, 75%, and 100% and a control group consisting of a positive control using chlorhexidine and a negative control group using sterile aquadest. All petri dishes were put into an incubator for 24 hours at 37oC, then their diameters were measured. Data analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test and continued with the Mann Whitney-U posthoc test. The results showed an increase in the concentration of the inhibition zone for each extract concentration. The average diameter of the positive control inhibition zone was 22.20 mm; 100% concentration 15.10 mm; 75% concentration 13.85 mm; 50% concentration 11.40 mm, and negative control 0.00 mm. The Kruskal-Wallis test results showed significant differences. The Mann Whitney-U posthoc test showed significant differences for all groups except the negative control. Bay leaf extract (Syzygium polyanthum W.) can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations of 50%, 75%, and 100%.
