Evaluation of the susceptibility of a polycaprolactone based root canal filling material to microbial degradation – An in vitro study

Abstract

The present study evaluated the susceptability of Resilon to degradation by endodontically relevant bacteria like Enterococcus faecalis, Propionibacterium acnes, Actinomyces viscosus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Resilon pellets that were dispersed into nanoparticles and were serially diluted to obtain 1/25th, 1/125th, and 1/625th dilutions. The stock and the serial dilutions were incorporated into Brain Heart Infusion agar and then poured in sterile petridishes. The study included five groups, each group denoting an organism. Group 1- Enterococcus faecalis, Group 2 –Propionibacterium acnes, Group 3- Actinomyces viscosus, Group 4- Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Group 5-Candida albicans and one control group that is Group 6- Negative control which were further subdivided into subgroups A, B and C. A - BHI agar containing stock emulsions of Resilon. B - BHI agar containing1/25 th dilution of Resilon emulsion. C - BHI agar containing 1/625 th dilution of the Resilon emulsion. All these five organisms were inoculated individually as a single streak on the Resilon incorporated agar and incubated at 37 0 C. The zones of clearance around the streaks were measured at 24 hours and 48 hours and analyzed statistically by one way ANOVA followed by post hoc and paired t test. All microorganisms showed significant zone of clearance and comparatively higher zone of clearance in higher dilutions. The zone of clearance at 48 hours was comparatively larger than at 24 hours. Propionibacterium acnes showed significantly lesser zone of inhibition than other microorganisms. Further studies should be done to test the biodegradability of Resilon bound to its sealer in an environment that mimics the root canals.