Current Trends in the Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile and their Comparison with Chlorhexidine, Nisin, and their Combination on Oral Bacterial Isolates Using the Kirby-Bauer Method
Keywords:
Antibiotics, Disk Diffusion, Antimicrobial Tests, Bacteria, Oral, SensitivityAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity profile of antibiotics on different oral bacterial species using the Kirby-Bauer Method and to compare them with Nisin and Chlorhexidine and their combination.
METHODOLOGY: A prospective cross-sectional study, conducted at the Microbiology laboratory of Jinnah University for Women, from September 2023 to 2024. Supragingival plaque samples were collected from residents of Karachi, regardless of gender, who were at least eighteen years old and had a Loe and Silness plaque index of 1 to 3. Individuals on antibiotic therapy within 12 weeks of sampling, with severe systemic illnesses, persistent systemic infections, or known communicable diseases were excluded. Sensitivity profiling of five different antibiotic classes was assessed by using the Kirby-Bauer Method and compared with the zone of inhibition of a 10% solution of Nisin, 0.2% chlorhexidine, and their combination. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.
RESULTS: Clarithromycin showed the highest mean zone of inhibition, while Optochin showed no zone. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed a statistically significant difference for Clarithromycin. Nisin and chlorhexidine showed statistically significant results of zone of inhibition with multiple antibiotics, while the combination showed substantial results only with Clarithromycin.
CONCLUSION: Clinically isolated oral bacterial species exhibited a wide range of antibiotic sensitivities, reflecting variations in microbial susceptibility and antimicrobial processes. Comparison of Nisin and chlorhexidine with commercially available antibiotics showed varying degrees of statistical significance. Nisin may be a helpful biocompatible alternative for the inhibition of bacterial growth in oral Supragingival plaque biofilms.
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