herbal oral gel containing cassia fistula and rosa x damascena: a natural remedy with anti-microbial activity against recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Background: recurrent aphthous stomatitis (ras) is an ulcerative disease with unclear etiopathogenesis. microbial agents are suggested as one of the predisposing factors. cassia fistula and rosa x damascena are two plant species with antimicrobial properties that are widely used for medicinal purposes.objectives: the aim of the present study was to formulate and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of an oral gel consisting of c. fistula extract (ex) and r. x damascena essential oil (eo) for the treatment of ras. methods: cassia fistula ex was prepared by the maceration method, and then the phenolic content was measured using the folin-ciocalteu reagent. the hydrodistillation method was used to prepare r. x damascena eo, and its ingredients were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc/ms). the antimicrobial activity of ex, eo, ex/eo, and the gel formulation was evaluated using disk diffusion and microbroth dilution methods against three strains: streptococcus mutans, actinomyces viscosus, and candida albicans. carbomer 940, carboxymethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose polymers were combined with ex/eo, and then the physicochemical parameters were checked. results: extract, eo, ex/eo, and gel formulations each showed the highest and lowest inhibitory effect against c. albicans and a. viscosus, respectively. the antimicrobial potential of ex and eo was dose-dependent, but no statistically significant difference was observed between two concentrations of 1.9 - 1.7% in ex and 0.7 - 0.9% in eo (p < 0.05). the highest antimicrobial capacity belonged to the combination of 1.7% and 0.7% concentrations of ex and eo. carbomer 940 in combination with ex/eo (1.7/0.7%) was identified as the optimal formulation. conclusions: the carbomer 940 gel formulation, with a uniform appearance without bubbles or lumps, a ph equal to 6.87 ± 0.04, good viscosity, an expiration date of 65 days, and acceptable antimicrobial activity, was considered the approved formulation in this study.