Comparative Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Moringa Oleifera Extract and Calcium Hydroxide Against E Faecalis

Introduction: Cleaning and shaping of the canal is an important step in endodontic treatment for achieving a sterile environment. The most persistent organism that usually leads to endodontic failure is Enterococcus faecalis. Moringa Oleifera is an herbal product whose extracts have shown considerable antimicrobial property. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Moringa Oleifera leaf extract against E. faecalis and compare it with Calcium Hydroxide which is currently the gold standard. Materials and Method: The leaf extracts of Moringa Oleifera were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method and its antimicrobial efficacy was tested using the Disc Diffusion test. Statistical analysis of the result was performed using ANOVA test. Results: The results of the present study have revealed that 100μg/ml concentration of Moringa Oleifera leaf extract (11.89 ± 0.43mm) has higher antimicrobial efficacy against E faecalis as compared to calcium hydroxide (8.56 ± 0.73mm) while a concentration of 25μg/ml (1.05 ± 0.01mm) was not as effective as calcium hydroxide in inhibiting the growth of E faecalis. Conclusion: The antimicrobial effect of Moringa Oleifera leaf extract against E. faecalis makes it a potential herb that could be further investigated for its use as an intracanal medicament.