Antibacterial activity of novel nanoparticles against persistent endodontic pathogens.

Persistent endodontic infections remain difficult to eradicate due to the resistance of biofilm-forming pathogens to conventional medicaments. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate Ag-ZnO hybrid nanoparticles synthesized via a sol-gel method for their antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis, C. albicans and A. israelii. The nanoparticles showed strong antibacterial activity, including large inhibition zones, low MIC values (12.5-25 µg/mL) and 87.3% biofilm suppression at 100 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity testing confirmed >80% fibroblast viability at therapeutic concentrations. Ag-ZnO NPs demonstrated potent antimicrobial performance with acceptable biocompatibility, supporting their potential as an advanced intracanal medicament.