Effects of Streblus asper on Candida albicans Adhesion to Acrylic

Objective: This in vitro study aimed at determining the effects of a sublethal concentration of Streblus asper leaf ethanolic extract (SAE) on adherence of Candida albicans to acrylic surface. Methods: A colorimetric tetrazolium assay with (2,3)-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)-carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) was used for the quantitative determination of Candidal adhesion to acrylic. The effect of various concentrations of SAE on candidal adhesion was monitored by incubating acrylic strips with C. albicans in the presence or absence of SAE for 4 hours. To determine the minimum duration of SAE in suppressing candidal adhesion to acrylic, the SAE at a concentration that was capable of suppressing candidal adhesion as effective as positive control (nystatin) was chosen. Adhesion of C. albicans to acrylic was determined after exposure to SAE for 1, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min. Result: The minimum concentration of SAE that significantly reduced adherence (P < 0.05) after a 4-h exposure was 31.25 mg/ml. In addition, there was a significant reduction (P < 0.01) of candidal adhesion to acrylic after 1 min exposure to 62.5 mg/ml of SAE. Conclusion: These findings indicate that exposure of C. albicans to the sublethal concentration of SAE resulted in a reduction in the ability of the yeasts to adhere to denture acrylic. This study was supported by grants from Center for Research and Development of Herbal Health Products and Khon Kaen University.