The antibacterial effect of xanthorrhizol as an endodontic irrigant on Enterococcus faecalis

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of xanthorrhizol (XTZ) on E. faecalis, compared with 2% chlorhexidine (CHX). Materials and Methods Normal physiological state (NS), starvation state (SS), and alkalization state (AS) of E. faecalis were used. A solution containing 1% XTZ in 30% ethanol, 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and 100 mg/ml sodium methyl cocoyl taurate was used and is referred to as Xan in this study. To determine the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of Xan and CHX, 500µl of E. faecalis (NS and two stress states) was added to a microtube containing 500µl of serial 2-fold dilutions of 1% Xan and 2% CHX (1:2-1:128). The MBC of each antimicrobial was determined by the plate count method. Results The antibacterial effect of Xan was more effective on E. faecalis in AS than in the other states (NS, SS) at 0.125% Xan and 0.03325% Xan (P<0.05). In contrast, the antibacterial effect of CHX was more effective against E. faecalis in SS than the other states (NS, AS) at 0.0625% CHX (P<0.05). In SS, the antibacterial effect of CHX was more effective than that of Xan at 0.125% and 0.0625% (P<0.05). However, in AS, the antibacterial effect of Xan was more effective than that of CHX at 0.0625% and 0.03325% (P<0.05). Conclusions In endodontic retreatment cases in which it is important to effectively remove E. faecalis from the infected root canal, Xan may be more suitable when combined with NaOCl than CHX.