Evaluation of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Ethanolic Extract of Syzygium cumini Seed as an Endodontic Root Canal Irrigant Using Agar Dilution Assay: An In Vitro Dentin Model Study

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Syzygium cumini (Java plum) seed extract as a root canal irrigant in comparison to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) using an agar dilution assay.Materials and methods: Dried S. cumini seeds were crushed and extracted using the Soxhlet method with ethanol as the solvent.Thirty single-rooted premolars were decoronated to a standardized length of 15 mm, instrumented using F4 ProTaper Gold files, and inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis.The experimental groups included: Group I (10 mL of normal saline), group II (10 mL of 5.25% NaOCl), and group III (10 mL of S. cumini seed extract).The microbial load was analyzed using colony-forming unit (CFU) counts on Mueller-Hinton Agar plates.Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 23.Results: Syzygium cumini seed extract exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, showing a high zone of inhibition at a low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value (0.3 mg/mL).Statistically significant reductions in bacterial count were observed in comparison to normal saline (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Syzygium cumini seed extract demonstrated promising antimicrobial efficacy, indicating its potential as a natural alternative to NaOCl for root canal irrigation.Further research, including clinical trials, is necessary to validate its effectiveness and safety in endodontic therapy.