The antimicrobial activity of salvadora persica solution (miswak-siwak)‎ as root canal irrigant : a comparative study

الملخص EN

The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial effects of an alcoholic extract of Salvadora Persica solution as a root canal irrigant and to compare it with the currently used root canal irrigants (5.25% sodium hypochlorite, 0.2% chlorhexidine, and normal saline).

The results of in vitro antimicrobial effect of alcoholic extract of Salvadora Persica (1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, 0.2% chlorhexidine, and normal saline showed that all concentrations of Salvadora Persica extract, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorhexidine had a significant antimicrobial effect against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria recovered from teeth with necrotic pulps,while normal saline had no significant antimicrobial effect.

The best antimicrobial effect for Salvadora Persica extract was noticed at 15%, according to broth microdilution method.

In an in vivo study, 48 uniradicular teeth with necrotic pulps were chosen.

The patients were divided randomly into four groups, 12 patients for each and treated with 15% alcoholic extract of Salvadora Persica, 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate as a positive control, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite as a positive control and normal saline as a negative control respectively.

Normal saline was used as negative control in order to know whether the reduction of microorganisms in the root canal after irrigation was due to antimicrobial effect of the irrigant as well as the effect of instrumentation and mechanical - flushing action of the irrigant.

Bacteriological samples were obtained at different appointments from the canal using sterile wet paper point in thioglycolate broth for anaerobic and brain heart infusion broth for aerobic bacteria.

0.1ml inoculum was taken from each broth, cultured on two blood agar plates and incubated anaerobically and aerobically.

Bacterial growth was counted as cfu / ml.

Results revealed that 15% alcoholic extract of Salvadora Persica had significant antimicrobial effect which was not significantly different from sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine, and significantly different from normal saline.