Antifungal Activity and Biocompatibility of DABCO Compounds/Denture Base Resins

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity and biocompatibility of DABCO-containing antimicrobial monomers with longer aliphatic chains. Longer chain length is expected to enhance the antifungal activity with improved physical and mechanical properties.
Methods: Two antimicrobial monomers containing DABCO (C6DC11MAF and C12DC11MAF) were synthesized and formulated into denture base resins, Ivocap High Impact (Ivoclar Vivadent), at 2 wt% and 4 wt%. Previously reported monomer C2DC11MAF served as the positive control, while the negative control contained no monomer. Antifungal activity against Candida albicans (SC5314) and cytotoxicity against periodontal ligament cells (PDL) and oral epithelial cells were tested. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey test, a=0.05).
Results: Both new monomers exhibited fungicidal activity against C. albicans; C6DC11MAF with a MIC (4 ug/ml) - similar to C2DC11MAF, and C12DC11MAF with a lower MIC (2 µg/ml). Moreover, the denture base resins containing these monomers at 2 wt% and 4 wt% inhibited surface C. albicans biofilm formation comparable to C2DC11MAF. Likewise, C6DC11MAF and C12DC11MAF both exhibited low cytotoxicity similar to C2DC11MAF against periodontal ligament cells and primary oral epithelial cells at 2 wt% and 4 wt%.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that DABCO-conjugated monomers with longer aliphatic chains incorporated into denture base resins maintain and may enhance fungicidal activity without compromising mammalian cell cytotoxicity. Such denture base materials may offer novel preventive or therapeutic options against Candida-associated denture stomatitis.