Psidium cattleianum Plus Ca(OH)₂ Antimicrobial Efficacy Against Enterococcus faecalis

Araça (Psidium cattleianum) extracts exhibit biocompatibility and inhibitory activity against oral microorganisms. Objectives: in vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Psidium cattleianum extracts associated with calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Methods: dentin tubes of extracted bovine maxillary central incisors were in vitro infected with Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 strains for 7 days. The root canals were filled with paste of hydroalcoholic extract of Psidium cattleianum with Ca(OH)2, propyleneglycolic extract of Psidium cattleianum with Ca(OH)2 and calcium hydroxide with distilled water. Saline was used as control. The experimental periods were 24 hours, 3, 7 and 14 days. After each period, irrigation with sterile saline to remove the medicament was performed and the canals were dried with sterile paper points. Burs of increasing diameters were used to collect dentin chips. The collected samples were replicated in agar plates with BHI, and taken into digital counter of colonies. Results: the associations of calcium hydroxide with hydroalcoholic extract and with propyleneglycolic extract of Psidium cattleianum presented higher antimicrobial property than calcium hydroxide associated with distilled water (p<0.01). The hydroalcoholic extract showed the same antibacterial activity in 24 hours than that of Ca(OH)2 associated to propyleneglycolic extract or water in 7 days of activity. All drugs were effective to significantly reduce the number of CFU in all periods of time for Candida albicans. Conclusions: in the experimental conditions used it can be concluded that hydroalcoholic extract of Psidium cattleianum associated with Ca(OH)2 was faster and more effective against E. faecalis than Ca(OH)2 associated with propyleneglycol extract or distilled water. The former needed 24 hours to demonstrate total antibacterial activity, while others needed 7 to 14 days to show the same inhibition. All drugs were effective against Candida albicans.