Background and Aim: Oral hygiene is important against the development of chronic periodontitis. There are concerns about bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The current study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of aqueous garlic extract (Allium sativum) against Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis).
Materials and Methods: Aqueous garlic extract was prepared, and the inhibitory effect of the extract was tested against P. gingivalis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against the control group (0.2% chlorhexidine) were also determined.
Results: Significant differences were observed concerning the MIC (1.21±0.37 µl) and MBC (1.44±0.67 µl) against P. gingivalis between the aqueous garlic extract and control groups (0.29±0.1 µl; P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the inhibitory zone against P. gingivalis between the aqueous garlic extract group (20.1±1.4 mm) and the control group (27.3±1.8 mm); the inhibitory zone was larger in the control group (P<0.000).
Conclusion: The results suggested that although chlorhexidine exhibited better antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis, the aqueous garlic extract also showed acceptable results. Further research using different extraction methods and concentrations is suggested.