Comparative evaluation of efficacy of Murraya koenigii and chlorhexidine gluconate in the treatment of gingivitis: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: Herbal products are widely substituting synthetic antimicrobials due to their minimal adverse effects and cost-effectiveness. Murraya koenigii (curry leaf) is an easily available green leafy vegetable, which is known for their antimicrobial, antioxidative, and cytotoxic activity. However, no published literature available evaluates their effectiveness in treating gingival inflammation. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of M. koenigii mouthwash in reduction of plaque and gingivitis in comparison with commercially available chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash. Materials and Methods: This single-center, parallel-arm, randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out among individuals reported to the institution. A total of 45 participants with mild-to-moderate gingivitis were selected and divided into three groups. Group A and B participants undergone scaling and were instructed to use M. koenigii and CHX mouthwashes, respectively. Group C participants have received only scaling. All the participants were recalled after 14 days of prescribed mouthwash use and clinical parameters were recorded. One-way analysis of variance test and Student's paired t-test were used for inter- and intra-group comparison of parameters, respectively. Results: On intragroup comparison of clinical parameters, all the three groups showed a statistically significant difference with P ≤ 0.05. On pairwise comparison, it showed a significant difference for Group B versus Group C and Group A versus Group C, while between Group A and Group B showed no significant difference. Conclusion: M. koenigii mouthwash is equally effective as CHX, in treating plaque-induced gingivitis.