An in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of aqueous Curcuma longa ex- tract against endodontic pathogens

Abstract

The most commonly isolated bacteria from endodontically infected teeth are anaerobic, especially black- pigmented gram-negative organisms. However, facultative microorganisms such as Enterococcus faecalis, aerobes like Staphylococcus aureus, and yeasts like Candida albicans are considered by many to be the most resistant spe- cies, and possible causes of root canal treatment failure. Irrigating solutions and intracanal medicaments are re- quired to eradicate microorganisms, and over a period, a variety of chemicals have been introduced. The alarming incidence of antibiotic resistance amongst the microbes, has led to the search of alternative antimicrobial drugs from medicinal plants to treat these infections. Curcuma longa (turmeric) belonging to the Zingiberaeceae family, has been used for thousands of years as a flavouring agent, a medicinal herb, and a dyeing agent. Owing to its antimicrobial properties, it can prove to be useful in Endodontics as well. Therefore; in the present study, aqueous extract of the roots of Curcuma longa was prepared and solutions of different concentrations of the extract were made. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using the agar well diffusion method. The Minimum Inhi- bitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were calculated. The time-kill pro- file was also recorded. 2.3percentage sodium hypochlorite solution was used as the positive control. The extract showed good antimicrobial properties against the endodontic pathogens. Hence, its future use as an endodontic irrigant or medicament should be considered and further evaluated.