Authors : Jamileh Bigom Taheri, Felipe Wilfredo Espineli, Hans Lu, Maryam Asayesh, Mahin Bakhshi, Mohammad Reza Nakhostin and Behzad Hooshmand
Abstract: Coconut flour is made from fresh organic coconut meat. It can be used as substitute to usual flours. Although, it contains carbohydrates, it has very low glycemic index. Furthermore, it also has antimicrobial properties due to its high lauric acid content that had been used as medicaments for some oral infections such as mouth sores. More recently, lauric acid has been recognized for its unique properties in food use which are related to its antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions. To determine its antimicrobial property, 45 plates using nutrient agar were inoculated with oral microflora sample from 15 dental students. The plates were added with saturated coconut flour at 100, 80, 60 and 40% concentrations. These were incubated for 48 h and the zone of inhibition was then measured. The results had shown that there was no zone of inhibition present on the experimental plates of all the concentrations which implies that the commercially available coconut flour had been negative for the antimicrobial test performed. However, 2% of the results had shown growths of molds around the Agar Well’s rims at its pure concentration. The commercially available coconut flour has no effect on microbes of the oral cavity and no antimicrobial property at any concentrations. However, it may initiate the growth of molds at its pure concentration. To prove the effectiveness and health benefits of coconut flour in the oral cavity as an antimicrobial agent in the form of oral strip.
Jamileh Bigom Taheri, Felipe Wilfredo Espineli, Hans Lu, Maryam Asayesh, Mahin Bakhshi, Mohammad Reza Nakhostin and Behzad Hooshmand, 2010. Antimicrobial Effect of Coconut Flour on Oral Microflora: An in vitro Study. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 5: 456-459.