University Archives

(1) Background Cannabinoids have been shown to have effective antibacterial applications. With limitations of current intracanal endodontic medicaments, and the rise of bacterial resistance, it is important to investigate novel treatment strategies for endodoonic infections. The aim of this study was to test the antibacterial efficacy of cannabinoids on bacteria in persistent endodontic infections; E. faecalis, S. mutans, and F. nucleatum. (2) Methods – Planktonic bacteria were exposed to: negative control (no exposure), positive control (3% NaOCl), and experimental groups CBD, CBN, and THC. The MIC and MBC was also investigated. Biofilms were cultured and treated with cannabinoids. Crystal violet assay (CVA) and live/dead analysis assessed biofilm degradation and inhibition, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA. (3) Results – CBD, CBN, and THC reached an MIC for both E. faecalis and S. mutans in planktonic form. MBC was found for tested cannabinoids on planktonic E. faecalis. No MBC was found for S. mutans. Live/dead analysis of E. faecalis and S. mutans biofilms showed a decrease in viability of the biofilm with increased cannabinoid concentration. CVA revealed cannabinoids degrade only the E. faecalis biofilm. Planktonic F. nucleatum had no MIC for tested cannabinoids. (4) Conclusions– Cannabinoids have inhibitory effects on E. faecalis and S. mutans in the planktonic and biofilm states. No inhibitory effects of F. nucleatum were found at tested concentrations of all three cannabinoids.