title: Assessment of antifungal activity of Proroot mineral trioxide aggregate and mineral trioxide aggregate-Angelus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fungi may play a key part in periradicular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the antifungal properties of two root-end filling materials, ProRoot Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and MTA-Angelus, against Candida albicans using tube-dilution test.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antifungal properties of ProRoot MTA and MTA-Angelus against C. albicans was assessed at 1, 24, and 48 hours following administration of two concentrations of the antifungal agents (50 and 100 mg/ml). A total of 50 culture wells were divided into four experimental groups (Freshly mixed MTA, Freshly mixed MTA-Angelus, 24-h set MTA, and 24-h set MTA-Angelus) and two control groups. Each well was prepared for one specific agent with a specific concentration. For the set groups, the mixture was prepared and left for 24 hours. One milliliter of suspension of fungal colonies with concentration of 10(4) CFU/ml was then added to the mixtures in each well. All wells were incubated at 37°C and assessed at 1, 24, and 48 hours. This observation was based on the turbidity of the suspension in the tubes. At each time point, 0.02 ml of each suspension was cultured on a Sabouraud dextrose agar plate to confirm C. albicans growth. The results were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although all fresh and set samples were incapable of killing C. albicans at 1 hour, they demonstrated fungicidal ability on agar plates at 24 and 48-hour time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTA-angelus proved to be an effective antifungal agent compared to ProRoot MTA at concentrations of 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontic, Iranian Center for Endodontic Research, Dental Research Center, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kangarlou
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sofiabadi
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asgary
authors.forename: Faranak
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahjour
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dianat
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yadegari
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Younessian
keywords: Antifungal agents; Candida; endodontic