Comparative Evaluation of Physicomechanical Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of White Portland Micro- and Nanoparticulate Peruvian Cement, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, and Neomineral Trioxide Aggregate.

Abstract

To compare the surface microhardness, compressive strength, and antimicrobial activity of white Portland nanoparticle and microparticle Peruvian cement, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), and neomineral trioxide aggregate (NeoMTA) at 24 hours and 28 days. Twenty specimens were prepared for each group of cement microparticulated powder (PCm), nanoparticulated cement (PCn), MTA, and NeoMTA to be evaluated at two different times, 24 hours and 28 days for the surface microhardness test and compressive strength. For the antimicrobial activity tests, another 20 specimens were prepared for each group of cement where they were subdivided into two subgroups according to the different periods at 24 hours and 48 hours. For the surface microhardness and compressive strength, the specimens, and the cement groups were mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions and transferred to a cylindrical polyethylene mold of 6-mm diameter and 4-mm height. The compressive strength test was conducted using a universal testing machine. Moreover, the agar diffusion technique was to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed. The highest microhardness values for the 24-hour subgroup were recorded for NeoMTA cement (16.99 ± 2.02), followed by MTA, PCn, and PCm, respectively. As for the 28-day subgroup, PCn cement (41.64 ± 3.20) presented the highest microhardness, followed by NeoMTA, PCm, and MTA, respectively, with statistically significant differences among them. The compressive strength of both subgroups 24 hours and 28 days exhibited the highest mean for PCn (41.3 ± 4.29, 65.74 ± 3.06), followed by PCm, NeoMTA, and the lowest value for MTA cement. Finally, for the antimicrobial activity, the highest mean for the 24-hours and 48-hours subgroup was recorded for NeoMTA cement (17.6 ± 1.26, 17.8 ± 1.44), followed by PCn, PCm, and the lowest value for MTA, with significant differences between them. It is highly recommended, Portland cement (PC) as a viable substitute since it has very similar components and properties, but at a lower cost. Regardless of the evaluation time, PCn produced higher surface microhardness and compressive strength; however, NeoMTA showed higher antimicrobial activity.