Antibacterial Efficacy of Matricaria recutita Essential Oil against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia: In Vitro Study

Aim: To evaluate in vitro the antibacterial efficacy of Matricaria recutita (chamomile) essential oil at 50 and 75% against Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 and Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611 at 24 and 48 hours. Material and methods:The sample consisted of 80 discs and Mueller-Hinton Agar, the medium chosen for the culture.To determine the bacterial sensitivity, discs were placed in each Petri dish with concentrations of essential oil at 50 and 75%, distilled water and 0.12% chlorhexidine.Subsequently, the inhibition halos were measured in millimeters at 24 and 48 hours after culture, with the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.Results: In groups treated with Porphyromonas gingivalis, measurements at 24 and 48 hours yielded 22.14 ± 2.61 and 22.63 ± 2.67 mm for 0.12% chlorhexidine, 18.90 ± 0.41 and 19.22 ± 0.54 mm for 75% essential oil, and 15.55 ± 0.45 and 15.77 ± 0.46 mm for 50% essential oil, respectively.No statistically significant differences were observed among the groups (p > 0.05).Conclusion: No significant differences were found between the antibacterial efficacy of 0.12% chlorhexidine and 50 and 75% essential oil of Matricaria recutita on Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia at 24 and 48 hours.Clinical significance: The study demonstrates that essential oil derived from Matricaria recutita may effectively combat bacteria associated with periodontal disease.This discovery has the potential to impact dental practice by introducing a natural treatment option.Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the clinical significance and potential applications of this finding.