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Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of propylene glycol,  glycerine,  polyethylene glycol  400  (PEG  400),  and  polyethylene  glycol  1000  (PEG  1000)  against  selected  microorganisms  in vitro. Materials and Methods: Five vehicles, namely propylene glycol, glycerine, PEG 400, PEG 1000, and combination of propylene glycol with PEG 400, were tested for  their  bactericidal  activity.  The  minimum  bactericidal concentration was noted against  four  standard  strains  of  organisms,  i.e.  Streptococcus  mutans American Type Culture Collection  (ATCC)  25175,  Streptococcus  mutans  ATCC  12598,  Enterococcus  faecalis  ATCC 35550, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, using broth dilution assay. Successful endodontic therapy depends upon thorough disinfection of root canals. In some refractory cases, routine endodontic therapy is not sufficient, so  intracanal  medicaments  are  used  for  proper  disinfection  of  canals.  Intracanal  medicaments  are  dispensed  with vehicles which aid in increased diffusion  through  the  dentinal  tubules  and  improve  their  efficacy.  Among the various vehicles used, glycerine is easily available, whereas  others  like  propylene  glycol  and  polyethylene  glycol have to be procured from appropriate sources. Also, these vehicles, being viscous, aid in sustained release of the medicaments and improve  their  handling  properties.The most commonly used intracanal medicaments  like calcium hydroxide are ineffective on many microorganisms, while most of the other  medicaments like MTAD (Mixture of Tetracycline, an Acid, and a Detergent) and Triple Antibiotic Paste (TAP) consist of antibiotics which can lead to development of antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Thus, in order to use safer and equally effective intracanal medicaments, newer alternatives like chlorhexidine gluconate, ozonized water, etc., are being explored. Similarly, the five vehicles mentioned  above are being tested for their  antimicrobial activity in this study. Results:All vehicles exhibited bactericidal activity at 100% concentration. Conclusion: Propylene glycol was effective against three organisms namely S. mutans E. faecalis and E. coli and its bactericidal activity was at 50%, 25% and 50% respectively. PEG 1000 was effective against S. mutans and E. coli at 25%. Hence propylene glycol was effective on more number of organisms of which E. faecalis is a known resistant species. PEG 1000 was bactericidal at a lower concentration but was effective on two organisms only.

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