Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to test the ability of some essential oils to dissolve three types
of commercial gutta-percha brands which are commonly used in Egypt. The chemical composition of three
commercially available gutta-percha brands (Hygenic, Maillefer and Meta) was determined using X-ray, FTIR
and elemental microanalysis. Essential oils from thirty medicinal plants representing the six most famous
families of aromatic plants growing in Egypt were extracted by steam distillation and tested for dissolving the
gutta-percha brands. Essential oils from the peels of Citrus x sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Navel orange), C. deliciosa
Tenora (Common mandarin) and C. x aurantium L.(Bitter orange)(Rutaceae) showed the highest dissolution
rate. The essential oils from the aerial parts of Origanum syriacum L. and Lavandula hyprida Reverchon cv.
Grosso (Labiateae) showed complete dissolution at 40oC, also essential oils from the seeds of Elletaria
cardamomum (Cardamom) Matonvar. miniscula Burkill (Zingibraceae) showed similar dissolution at 40oC.
GC-MS analysis was performed on six essential oils representing the three effective families in order to
correlate their composition with their dissolution efficiency.
