Antimicrobial Effects of Mastic Extract Against Oral and Periodontal Pathogens.

Background: Various antimicrobial agents are widely used in the therapy of oral inflammatory diseases. However, their side effects and the appearance of drug resistance justify research on natural antimicrobial agents to target oral pathogens that are safe for the host. In the present study, antimicrobial properties of mastic extract on commensal and pathogenic oral bacteria, as well as its possible cytotoxic effect toward cells of epithelial and mesenchymal origin, were evaluated and compared with the common antimicrobial agents hydrogen peroxide (HO) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX).