Stability of antibacterial activity of Chlorhexidine and Doxycycline in bovine root dentine

The aim of this study was to compare the substantivity of chlorhexidine (CHX) and doxycycline bond to the dentin in diffusion disk method.

A total of 92 dentin disks were prepared from Bovine’s teeth root. After removing cementum and standardizing disks in weight and outer diameter, they were irrigated with sodium hypochlorite 2.5%, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid 17% and sterile saline and sterilled in autoclave. Then, the first group (n = 36) were irrigated with chlrohexine 2% and the second group (n = 36) with doxycycline 100 mg/mL, each for a period of 10 min. The third group (n = 20) was considered as the control group. Samples were divided into four subgroups, which after 1 day, 3, 6, and 12 weeks were incubated in plates containing Muller Hinton agar broth and Enterococcus faecalis for a period of 48 h at 37°C temperature; then the diameter of the zone of inhibition was measured. The antimicrobial effect of irrigating solutions without binding to the dentin was also studied using the plate well method. One‑way and univariate variance tests as well as Post‑hoc Tukey were used for data analyses.

The diameter of the zone of inhibition of doxycycline group was significantly more than the CHX group from the beginning to the 3rd week (P < 0.005). After 3rd week, mean diameter in doxycycline group declined as compared with the CHX group up to 12th week (P < 0.005). The difference between means in two groups was not significant in the 3rd week (P = 0.87).

The results of this study show that CHX and doxycycline show antibacterial activity for 12 weeks; although after 3rd week, the substantivity of CHX was significantly greater than doxycycline. Both of these irrigants can be used in other pharmacological and medical fields whenever a long‑lasting antibacterial action is needed.