Evaluation of the efficacy of neem (Azadirachta indica) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) as storage media in maintaining periodontal ligament cell viability: An in vitro study

Aims: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of neem and turmeric as storage media in maintaining periodontal ligament (PDL) cell viability. Materials and Methods: Ninety premolar extracted teeth were randomly selected and divided into three groups, namely milk as a control group and neem and turmeric as experimental groups. The teeth were placed in one of the three storage media for 30 min. Scrapped PDL fibers were collected in Falcon tubes, incubated, and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 rpm. Obtained PDL cells were stained with trypan blue, observed, and counted in a hemocytometer under microscope, which was followed by the calculation of percentages of viable cells. One-way ANOVA was applied for comparison between different groups, and Tukey's test was applied for pair-wise comparison. Results: Mean percentage of viable cells in milk was 89.98 ± 4.11%, whereas in neem and turmeric extracts, it was 88.00 ± 5.85% and 81.63 ± 7.12%, respectively. There was a significant difference between all the three storage media for the viable PDL cells (P = 0.001). Intergroup comparison of the different storage media showed that there was a statistically highly significant difference between milk and turmeric (P ≤ 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in between turmeric and neem (P ≤ 0.531) for the viable cell percentage, with neem being better storage medium than the turmeric. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the current study, it can be concluded that neem is as efficient as milk in maintaining the PDL cell viability. Turmeric, though is an efficient storage medium, was not as efficient as milk and neem.