Background: The interest in herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents has increased over the past few years in endodontic therapy. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) is a promising plant with great medicinal values. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of watercress oil in combination with calcium hydroxide against Candida albicans as intracanal medicament. Materials and Methods: Candida albicans was isolated from patients with necrotic root canal or failed root canal treatment. The sensitivity of Candida albicans to different concentrations of watercress oil extract was determined by using the agar well diffusion method in comparison with calcium hydroxide paste. The agar plate method was used to determine the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the tested oil against the fungus. The combination of the oil extract of Nasturtium officinale with calcium hydroxide was evaluated and compared to calcium hydroxide paste with iodoform by using the agar well diffusion method. Results: The oil extract exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans, this activity was found to be increased as the concentration of extract increased. The tested combination of watercress oil extract with calcium hydroxide revealed larger inhibition zones than the ones formed by each tested agent individually. Conclusion: The oil extract of Nasturtium officinale is active against Candida albicans suggesting its potential to be used as an intracanal medicament alone or in combination with calcium hydroxide.
Background: Bacterial DNA released upon bacterial autolysis or killed by antibiotics, hence, many inflammatogenic reactions will be established leading to serious tissue damage. Aim: the present work aimed to elucidate the histopathological changes caused by prokaryotic (bacterial) DNA and eukaryotic (candidal) DNA. Materials and methods: twenty one Staphylococcus aureus and 36 Candida albicans isolates were isolated from UTI patients. Viable cells and DNA of the highest antibiotic sensitive isolates were injected, intraurethraly, in mice. Results were evaluated via histopathological examination. Results: Mildest reactions were obtained from mice challenged with viable C. albicans compared with those challenged with viable S. aureus. Dos
... Show MoreA comparative study was carried out to evaluate alkaloid antibacterial activity which was extracted from the root bark Punica granatum L. by liquid membrane techniques (SA) and organic solvent traditional techniques (SB). The screening of the antimicrobial activity was conducted by agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis at three concentration levels (5, 10 and 15 mg/ml). Alkaloid extracts were analyzed by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Among the tested extractions, SB showed the highest antibacterial activity against all five bacterial strains, especially at 15 mg/ml concentration. However, all the B type solution
... Show MoreBackground: Common and persistent isolate ina the teeth following failed therapy of the root canal is the gram-positive facultative bacterium Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli, which develop biofilm through a complicated process that results in the formation of a biofilm. Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli are significant factors that cause chronic periradicular lesions after root canal therapy. Aim: This study aimed to treat the root canal tooth infected with Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis Methods: In this study biofilm formation was done for Escherichia coli in growth phase cultured in a brain heart broth Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli cultured in Luria-Bertani (LB) infusion medium for 18 hrs. Then
... Show MoreThe objective of this study was to evaluate a natural bio-insecticide manufacturing from Eucalyptus sp. volatile oil. The use of Eucalyptus sp. against the Backswimmer insect Anisops sardea Herrich-Schaeffer, 1849 predatory of larvae of common carp fish, Cyprinus carpio L., in artificial closed ponds in Babylon province represented a new idea in Iraq. The volatile oil of the Eucalyptus sp. was extracted by hot water method using the Clevenger, three concentrations of 250000, 450000 and 650000 ppm with benzyl benzoate as a stabilizer were used, which has a boiling point of 324OC (slow evaporation) at field experiment.The results of field and laboratory experiments of the extracted volatile oil in different concentrations, showed that
... Show MoreCandida Berkh. (1923) occurs naturally in the body. But it becomes opportunistic fungi, meaning that it infects humans when there is any weakening of the immune system, such as exposure to chemotherapy, diabetes, or organ transplantation. Most species of Candida grow at a temperature between 20-40 °C and have a pH of 3-8. Human pathogens of Candida species include C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. lusitaniae, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. utili. C. albicans has many virulence factors that facilitate injury process. Virulence factors are considered as a measure of pathogenicity, and it is in the form of fungal toxins, enzymes, or cell structures that facilitate infection, as well as pathogen resistance in different conditions. This study
... Show MoreBackground: The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilliin burn wound infections related to biofilm formation, which lend to challenge in treatment with conventional antibiotics andprompting to search for novel antimicrobial agents to control the infections.Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have wide spectrum biological properties with different mechanisms of action and less toxicity towards human cells.
Objective:The goal of this study was to evaluated the anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activities of AgNPs alone and in combination with aminoglycoside (Amikacin) and β-lactam (Ampicillin) antibiotics against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli (Pseudomonas aeruginos
... Show MoreObjective: To diagnose the function of natural biomolecules in the biological reduction of metal salts during nanoparticle synthesis.Study Design: Experimental studyPlace and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the College of Education for Pure Sciences/Ibn Al- Haitham at the University of Baghdad from 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2025. Methods: Capsicum plant extract was used and treated with a readily available inorganic salt (CaSO4 2H2O). It was used as a basic material to obtain particles.Results: Calcium peroxide nanoparticles in the form of a yellowish-white powder were confirmed by using, UV, XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, and EDX, confirmed that the compound is calcium peroxide nanoparticles with an average nano size of 31
... Show MoreObjective: To diagnose the function of natural biomolecules in the biological reduction of metal salts during nanoparticle synthesis.Study Design: Experimental studyPlace and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the College of Education for Pure Sciences/Ibn Al- Haitham at the University of Baghdad from 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2025. Methods: Capsicum plant extract was used and treated with a readily available inorganic salt (CaSO4 2H2O). It was used as a basic material to obtain particles.Results: Calcium peroxide nanoparticles in the form of a yellowish-white powder were confirmed by using, UV, XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, and EDX, confirmed that the compound is calcium peroxide nanoparticles with an average nano size of 31
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