BACKGROUND: With the continued demand for new, effective, and safe endodontic therapies, the aim of this study was assessment of efficiency of the ethyl acetate (EthOAc) extract of Tanacetum vulgare (L.) against Candida albicans.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The antifungal effectiveness of the EthOAc extract of T. vulgare was determined using the agar disk diffusion method. The inhibition zones induced by the EthOAc extract were compared after 5 minutes, 60 minutes, and 24 hours to those induced by standard solutions (2% chlorhexidine, saturated calcium hydroxide, and 2% sodium hypochlorite). Statistical analysis of the results was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS: The inhibition zone of chlorhexidine against C. albicans was 30.3–19.3 mm, but in combination with EthOAc extract (100 mg/mL) of T. vulgare, this inhibition was from 32.7–30 mm, indicating that this combination exerted a marked synergistic effect against C. albicans. The inhibition zone of sodium hypochlorite (69.7–65 mm) was higher than the inhibition zone of EthOAc extract and chlorhexidine. The combination of EthOAc extract with sodium hypochlorite resulted in a loss of antifungal activity. Furthermore, the activity of the EthOAc extract against C. albicans was decreased after mixing the extract with dentine at a concentration of 25 mg/50 µL (30.3–20.7 mm). The EthOAc extract did not show a genotoxic effect on lymphocyte cells.

CONCLUSIONS: The EthOAc extract of T. vulgare may be a useful tool to discover natural bioactive agents that have antifungal activity against C. albicans and could be used as endodontic therapies.

Keywords: Antifungal Agents, Candida albicans, Endodontics, Tanacetum, Acetates, Dentin, Drug Synergism, Lymphocytes, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Mutagens, Plant Extracts