Background and Aim: Oral hygiene is important against the development of chronic periodontitis. There are concerns about bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The current study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of aqueous garlic extract (Allium sativum) against Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis). Materials and Methods:Aqueous garlic extract was prepared, and the inhibitory effect of the extract was tested against P. gingivalis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against the control group (0.2% chlorhexidine) were also determined. Result: Significant differences were observed concerning the MIC (1.21±0.37 µl) and MBC (1.44±0.67 µl) against P. gingivalis between the aqueous garlic extract and control groups (0.29±0.1 µl; P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the inhibitory zone against P. gingivalis between the aqueous garlic extract group (20.1±1.4 mm) and the control group (27.3±1.8 mm); the inhibitory zone was larger in the control group (P<0.000). Conclusion: The results suggested that although chlorhexidine exhibited better antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis, the aqueous garlic extract also showed acceptable results. Further research using different extraction methods and concentrations is suggested.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.