EVALUATION OF ANTIFUNGAL EFFICACY OF VARIOUS ROOT CANAL IRRIGANTS AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS - AN IN VITRO STUDY

Priti Desai*, Saikat Chatterjee, Niladri Maiti and Shibendu Biswas

ABSTRACT

Aim & Objective: The study was designed to evaluate and compare the antifungal efficacy of 3% Sodium Hypochlorite, 0.2% Chlorhexidine, 20% Citric acid against Candida Albicans using Agar diffusion method. Methodology: The four irrigating material divided in to group(n =10) GROUP I- Normal saline (control), GROUP II- 3% Sodium Hypochlorite(ICPA), GROUP III-0.2%Chlorhexidine, GROUP IV- 20% Citric acid(Primadent). To test antifungal activity with agar diffusion method, sterile muller hinton plates were prepared first (n=10 per group) and then the broth culture of canidia albicans were swabbed on these plates with sterile swabs. The two wells per plate were cut into agar plates with the help of sterile cork-borer. 50 μl of test samples will be added to the wells respectively according to groups. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 hrs. The antifungal activity was evaluated by measuring the diameter of inhibition zone. Results: Group IV shown 15.4 mm inhibition zone, group III shown 11.2 mm inhibition zone, Group –II shown 4.4 mm inhibition zone and group I shown 0.00 mm inhibition zone. Conclusion: 20% Citric acid shows greater antifungal efficacy than 0.2% Chlorhexidine and 3%Sodium Hypochlorite against Candida albicans. While normal saline does not have antifungal activity so use of citric acid as irrigating solution is helpful in eradicating fungi from root canal.

Keywords: Agar diffusion, Mueller-Hinton, Candida albicans, Sodium hypochlorite Chlorhexidine gluconate, Citric acid.