title: Comparative evaluation of propolis and triantibiotic mixture as an intracanal medicament against Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial activity of calcium hydroxide, triantibiotic mixture (TAM), and an ethanol extract of propolis as intracanal medicaments on Enterococcus faecalis-infected root canals.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty extracted intact human permanent incisors were decoronated, and chemomechanical preparation of the root canal was performed. After sterilization of the samples, they were inoculated with pure culture of E. faecalis and incubated. After incubation, colony-forming units were recorded before medication. Then, samples were divided randomly into five groups (n = 24). Each group was then exposed to various intracanal medicaments, namely calcium hydroxide (group 1), TAM (group 2), propolis (group 3), ethanol (group 4), and saline as the control group (group V). The antibacterial effectiveness of the different intracanal medicament was recorded by determining the percentage reduction in colony counts (%RCC) at the end of days 1, 2, and 7. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) post hoc test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The %RCC was highest for propolis showing 100% reduction on day 2 followed by TAM showing 82.5%, 92.2%, and 98.4% of reduction on days 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Calcium hydroxide showed a gradual increase in antibacterial activity with a maximum of 59.4% on day 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propolis was more effective than TAM against E. faecalis at a 2-day time period, and both were equally effective at 7 days.
authors.affiliation: Sri Ramaswamy Memorial Dental College, Sri Ramaswamy Memorial University, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. dentistmadhana@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Manavalan Madhana
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Madhubala
authors.forename: Narasimhan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Shafie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahamed
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D011429:Propolis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D008795:Metronidazole; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D011429:Propolis; D008911:Minocycline; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide