{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T14:47:52Z","timestamp":1774882072005,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]],"date-time":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774656000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Persistent endodontic infections are frequently associated with Enterococcus faecalis, a microorganism capable of penetrating dentinal tubules and surviving conventional disinfection procedures. This in vitro study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of Chihuahuan propolis against E. faecalis using planktonic and intratubular infection models. Propolis extract was tested at concentrations of 15, 35, and 70 mg\/mL and compared with triple antibiotic paste (TAP) as a clinically relevant intracanal medicament. Antimicrobial efficacy was assessed by disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), colony-forming unit (CFU) reduction in infected dentinal tubules, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chihuahuan propolis exhibited concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity, with a MIC of 17.5 mg\/mL. In the intratubular model, propolis at 70 mg\/mL achieved a CFU reduction comparable to TAP after seven days of application. SEM analysis confirmed a marked reduction of bacterial colonization within dentinal tubules. Within the limitations of this in vitro, monoespecies model, Chihuahuan propolis demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis comparable to TAP, supporting its further investigation as a potential non-antibiotic intracanal medicament.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms14040774","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T13:41:53Z","timestamp":1774878113000},"page":"774","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Chihuahuan Propolis as a Non-Antibiotic Intracanal Agent Against Enterococcus faecalis: An In Vitro Intratubular Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hilda Natalia","family":"Quintana-P\u00e9rez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Grissel Guadalupe","family":"Orozco-Molina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5729-4677","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos Esteban","family":"Villegas-Mercado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sandra Aid\u00e9","family":"Santana-Delgado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adolfo","family":"Gonzalez-Acosta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4246-081X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Javier Iv\u00e1n","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Raquel","family":"Duarte-Rico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-6399-6551","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lydia Paulina","family":"Loya-Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0434-8429","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Am\u00e9rica Susana","family":"Mares-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Research in Advanced Materials, S.C. (CIMAV), Chihuahua 31136, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8944-1667","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudia Alejandra","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Escobar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Research in Advanced Materials, S.C. (CIMAV), Chihuahua 31136, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8136-4820","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abigailt","family":"Flores-Ledesma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dental Materials and Biomaterials Laboratory, Faculty of Stomatology, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3782-1940","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alejandro","family":"Romo Chac\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n en Alimentaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Cuauht\u00e9moc, Chihuahua 31570, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6145-1134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mercedes","family":"Berm\u00fadez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juan Antonio","family":"Arreguin-Cano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31000, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wieczorkiewicz, K., Jarz\u0105bek, A., Bakinowska, E., Kie\u0142bowski, K., and Pawlik, A. (2024). Microbial Dynamics in Endodontic Pathology-From Bacterial Infection to Therapeutic Interventions-A Narrative Review. 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