Improvement of the Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activity of AH PlusSealer with Chitosan Nanoparticles and Arginine against Enterococcusfaecalis and Candida albicans

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Elham Khoshbin 1
Hamed Karkehabadi 2
Mohammad Yousef Alikhani 3
Amirhossein Rajabnia 2
1  Department of Endodontics, Dental School, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Hamadan, Iran.
2 Department of Endodontics, Dental School, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Hamadan, Iran.
3 Infectious disease research center, Avicenna Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
10.22088/IJMCM.BUMS.14.1.483
Abstract
The success of endodontic treatments can be significantly impaired by persistent microbial
pathogens, especially Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Candida albicans (C. albicans).
The aim of this study was to investigate how the incorporation of chitosan nanoparticles
(CsNPs) and arginine (Arg) can enhance the antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of AH Plus,
a widely used epoxy resin-based root canal sealer. The CsNPs were synthesized by ionotropic
gelation and assessed for their size, morphology, chemical structure, and cytotoxicity. The
antimicrobial effectiveness of the modified sealers was evaluated against E. faecalis and C.
albicans by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal
concentration, minimum fungicidal concentration, and agar diffusion method. Additionally,
antibiofilm activity was assessed using a microtiter plate assay. Characterization of the CsNPs
revealed an average size of 144 ± 12.8 nm by scanning electron microscopy and 182.4 nm by
dynamic light scattering with a zeta capacitance of +49.2 mV. CsNPs maintained more than
68% cell viability at 625 μg/mL after 24 and 48 hours. Adding CsNPs and Arg significantly
enhanced the impact of AH Plus sealer on antimicrobial and antibiofilm, especially at elevated
additive concentrations. This study suggests that AH Plus sealers containing CsNPs and Arg
may offer a promising approach to enhance endodontic treatment outcomes by efficiently
combating resistant root canal infections
Keywords
Arginine
Candida albicans
chitosan
Enterococcus faecalis
nanoparticles