Evaluation of the efficacy of 2% Ocimum sanctum gel in the treatment of experimental periodontitis

What is it about?

Many bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics. Gum disease is caused by bacteria. When we give locally delivered drugs it helps control bacteria. To overcome the challenge of bacteria becoming resistant to drugs, scientist have focused attention on herbal based drugs. But we have to be cautious while using newer drugs. It has to be tested on animals before using on humans. Hence we did an animal study to see if Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) is effective in treating gum disease.

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Why is it important?

Tulsi, is a herb that has been used for treatment of various ailments in ayurveda, a traditional Indian medicine system. It has many properties like anti inflammatory, antimicrobial properties, immunoenhancing properties and many more. But, it needs to be studied in a scientific manner. Many studies have been done on the use of Tulsi for the treatment of systemic disease. But, very few have been done on its use as a local drug delivery sytem. Hence we formulated a 2% Tulsi gel and studied if it is a useful adjunct to conventional treatment in wistar albino rats.