The Comparative Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effect of Propolis with Chlorhexidine against Oral Pathogens: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effectiveness of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) on planktonicStreptococcus mutans,Streptococcus sobrinus,Lactobacillus acidophilus,Lactobacillus salivariussubsp.salivarius,Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans,Prevotella intermedia,Porphyromonas gingivalis,Staphylococcus aureus,Enterococcus faecalis,Actinomyces israelii,Candida albicans, and their single-species biofilms by agar dilution and broth microdilution test methods. Both agents inhibited the growth of all planktonic species. On the other hand, CHX exhibited lower minimum bactericidal concentrations than EEP against biofilms ofA. actinomycetemcomitans,S. aureus, andE. faecaliswhereas EEP yielded a better result against Lactobacilli andP. intermedia. The bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations of both agents were found to be equal against biofilms of Streptecocci,P. gingivalis,A. israelii, andC. albicans. The results of this study revealed that propolis was more effective in inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria than the Gram-negative bacteria in their planktonic state and it was suggested that EEP could be as effective as CHX on oral microorganisms in their biofilm state.