| Summary: | Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Euclea divinorum Hiern against some root canal microorganisms compared to conventional root canal irrigants.
Settings and Design: An in vitro laboratory study at the University of Nairobi.
Materials and Methods: E. divinorum branches were collected, dried, and ground into coarse powder. The aqueous filtrates were lipolyzed while the ethanol filtrates were reduced under vacuum and oven-dried into powder. Growth inhibition of cell cultures from pure strains of Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC® 29212™), Streptococcus mutans (ATCC ®25175™), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 25923™), Fusobacterium nucleatum (ATCC®25586™), Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC® 4356™), and Candida albicans (ATCC® 24433™) by the extracts were determined using tenfold liquid microdilution incubated for 24 and 48 h at 37°C. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was compared to those of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, and 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test were used to test for differences between the mean growth inhibition of the extracts and the controls.
Results: Fifty mg/ml ethanol extract had the highest growth inhibition at 99% ±3.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) (9.24, 100.755) against F. nucleatum followed by S. aureus at 97.22% ±3.77, 95% CI (95.04, 99.39) for 48 h incubation. S. mutans, L. acidophilus, and C. albicans showed resistance to the cytotoxic effects of the plant extracts. The mean growth inhibitions of 50 mg/ml ethanol extract against E. faecalis, and S. aureus were similar to those of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and 17% EDTA for 24 h incubation while being higher against F. nucleatum at P < 0.01(Tukey's HSD).
Conclusion: Fifty mg/ml E. divinorum extracts showed growth inhibition against E. faecalis, S. aureus, and F. nucleatum which was similar to the efficacy of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. S. mutans, L. acidophilus, and C. albicans showed resistance to the cytotoxic effects of the extracts.
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