Application of guava leaves extract on jelly candy to inhibit Streptococcus mutans

One of the most commonly occurring diseases of the oral cavity is dental caries. To prevent dental caries, the usage of antibacterial agent is used. Many studies have reported the effect of plant extracts on the inhibition of oral pathogen growth. One of these plants’ extracts is guava leaves which have been reported to be highly active against Streptococcus mutans. This research was conducted to determine the antibacterial activity of guava leaves against S. mutans to make jelly candy, added with peppermint essential oil as the flavoring agent. Extracts of Psidium guajava L. leaves were prepared by sequential extraction using hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The ethanolic extract of P. guajava L. leaves was found to be the best extraction solvent for the antibacterial activity against S. mutans with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3,758.41 ppm, minimum bactericidal concentration of 15,033.62 ppm, yield of 60.87% ± 4.89%, phenolic content of 355.0347 ± 10.8186 mg GAE (Gallic Acid Equivalent)/g extract, and total flavonoid content of 234.2960 ± 2.5074 QE(Quercetin Equivalent)/g extract. In jelly candy, the highest antibacterial activity of guava leaves extract against S. mutans with acceptable sensory characteristics was jelly candy added with 5 MIC extract and 0.25% peppermint essential oil concentration with an inhibition diameter of 9.68 ± 0.54 mm and overall acceptability of 3.80 ± 1.47 (out of 7)