Assessment of the viability of human periodontal ligament cells in black tea, lime juice, and passion fruit concentrate - A comparative in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Tooth avulsion is considered as a severe form of dental trauma, causing damage to the periodontium. Hence, the preservation of healthy periodontal ligament (PDL) cells in the storage medium are pivotal for the success of replantation. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the viability of human PDL cells in black tea, lime juice, and passion fruit concentrate. METHODS: Human periodontal cells were cultured and stored in three experimental media - black tea, lime juice, and passion fruit concentrate and subjected to 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay for 1 h and the cell viability was determined. Mean and standard deviation were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance to identify the significant groups. RESULTS: The human PDL cells showed 100% viability in lime juice and passion fruit concentrate, followed by 98% viability in black tea. CONCLUSION: Black tea, lime juice, and passion fruit concentrate can be used effectively as storage media for maintaining PDL cells viability in avulsed teeth, with 100% viability exhibited by lime juice and passion fruit concentrate.

Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera and its effectiveness in decontaminating gutta percha cones.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Aloe vera and to determine its effectiveness in decontaminating gutta percha cones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A concentrated extract of Aloe vera was used to check for the antimicrobial efficacy using the agar well diffusion method. Presence of zones' of diffusion was identified against three common GP contaminants namely, E.coli, E.faecalis and Staph. aureus. New GP Cones, freshly taken out of the packet were then decontaminated for 1minute using Aloe vera gel and then placed in thioglycolate broth to check for the presence of turbidity. RESULTS: The zones of inhibition on the agar plate were measured as 24mm,21mm and 24mm respectively. The broth remained clear even after 48 hours of incubation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that Aloe vera is indeed effective as a GP decontaminant and it holds a promising future as a medium for storage of GP cones.