Abstract
Fifteen herbs used in oral medicine were extracted in ethanol and screened for tooth whitening effect, radical scavenging activity, inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase activity and anti-bacterial activity on Streptoccocus mutans. The results are as followed: 1. The tooth whitening effect of toothpaste containing 1 $\%$ ethanol extracts of 15 herbs was tested in brushing method using artificially stained HAT tablet and bovine tooth specimens. Toothpaste containing 1$\%$ of Vucia unijuga, Illicium verum, Angelica dahurica and Piper longum extracts showed tooth whitening effects on both HAT tablet and bovine tooth specimens. But the others did not show a considerable activity. 2. The antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of 15 herbs was tested using the method of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) reactivity. Two ethanol extracts of Cimicifuga heracleifolia and Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis were found to be the most effective on radical scavenging activity. C. heracleifolia and P. nigra var. henonis extracts removed 86$\%$ and 81 $\%$ of DPPH radical at 0.01$\%$, compared with butylated hydroxy toluene as positive control. 3. The inhibition activity of ethanol extracts on nitrate production In RAW264.7 cell stimulated by lipopolysacchride was tested using the Griess reagent. But all extracts did not inhibit nitrate production. 4. The antibacterial activity on Streptoccocus mutans was tested by paper disk method. But no one extract showed any anti - bacterial activity.