ABSTRACT

Sutures play a critical role in wound closure and healing following surgical procedures, but can also act as a reservoir for microbial colonization, potentially leading to surgical site infections. To address this, the present study evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of silk sutures coated with different antibiotics against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Four groups were assessed: doxycycline-coated sutures (Group A), amoxicillin–metronidazole-coated sutures (Group B), uncoated sutures as control (Group C), and chitosan polymer–coated sutures (Group D). Using the agar diffusion method, both antibiotic-coated groups demonstrated concentration-dependent increases in zones of inhibition. At 25 % concentration, Group A showed a mean inhibition zone (6.8 ± 1.20 mm), while Group B exhibited a significantly larger zone (9.85 ± 0.91 mm) (p < 0.001). Group C showed no inhibition, whereas Group D showed minimal inhibition (2.1 ± 0.14 mm). These findings suggest that antibiotic-coated sutures, particularly amoxicillin–metronidazole, may effectively reduce postoperative infections.