Antimicrobial activity of alexidine alone and associated with N-acetylcysteine against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm

Abstract

An analysis of different treatment combinations has revealed an optimal strategy for eliminating bacteria that take up residence inside teeth. Bacteria that infiltrate the root canal system establish dense communities known as biofilms, which are challenging to eradicate. Treatment typically entails irrigation of the canal with drugs such as chlorhexidine, a bisbiguanide. Researchers led by Carmen María Ferrer-Luque of the University of Granada in Spain compared the efficacy of alexidine, another bisbiguanide in killing Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. They determined that this drug efficiently kills off two different strains of E. faecalis within one minute at very low concentrations. The researchers also tested a combination of alexidine with N-acetylcysteine, a mucolytic agent that disrupts the extracellular polysaccharide matrix of biofilms, but observed that the combination did not meaningfully improve on the performance of alexidine alone.

Keywords

alexidine / antimicrobial activity / biofilm / Enterococcus faecalis / N-acetylcysteine

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