Methods: Acetone extract was prepared using Dodonaea angustifolia leaves. Yeast cells were treated with subinhibitory concentration (0.39 mg/ml) of plant extract and mixed with freshly isolated oral epithelial cells suspended in distilled water. Water instead of plant extract was used for the control. After 3 hours of incubation, the epithelial cells were harvested, washed, slides were prepared and gram stain was performed. Isolates from 10 patients in each group were studied and each experiment was performed in triplicate. Adherent yeast cells per 100 epithelial cells were counted for each test including the controls. Results of treated and control cells and the results of the isolates from both the groups were compared using two ways ANOVA.
Results: The plant extract significantly (p=<0.05) reduce the adherence of C. albicans to the oral epithelial cells. There was no difference in the results of the strains isolated from the two study groups (p=0.1).
Conclusion: Dodonaea angustifolia decreases C. albicans adhesion to oral epithelial cells.