In Vitro Assessment of Antifungal and Antibiofilm Efficacy of Commercial Mouthwashes against Candida albicans

Abstract

Candida albicans is the most critical fungus causing oral mycosis. Many mouthwashes contain antimicrobial substances, including antifungal agents. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro activity of 15 commercial mouthwashes against 12 strains of C. albicans. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs), and anti-biofilm activity were studied. MICs were determined by the micro-dilution method using 96-well plates, and MFCs were determined by culturing MIC suspensions on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Anti-biofilm activity was evaluated using the crystal violet method. The mouthwashes containing octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT; mean MICs 0.09–0.1%), chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX; MIC 0.12%), and CHX with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC; MIC 0.13%) exhibited the best activity against C. albicans. The active compound antifungal concentrations were 0.5–0.9 µg/mL for OCT products and 1.1–2.4 µg/mL for CHX rinses. For mouthwashes with CHX + CPC, concentrations were 1.56 µg/mL and 0.65 µg/mL, respectively. Products with polyaminopropyl biguanide (polyhexanide, PHMB; MIC 1.89%) or benzalkonium chloride (BAC; MIC 6.38%) also showed good anti-Candida action. In biofilm reduction studies, mouthwashes with OCT demonstrated the most substantial effect (47–51.1%). Products with CHX (32.1–41.7%), PHMB (38.6%), BAC (35.7%), Scutellaria extract (35.6%), and fluorides + essential oils (33.2%) exhibited moderate antibiofilm activity. The paper also provides an overview of the side effects of CHX, CPC, and OCT. Considering the in vitro activity against Candida albicans, it can be inferred that, clinically, mouthwashes containing OCT are likely to offer the highest effectiveness. Meanwhile, products containing CHX, PHMB, or BAC can be considered as promising alternatives.

Electrospun Nanofibers with Pomegranate Peel Extract as a New Concept for Treating Oral Infections

“…The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the pomegranate extract were determined using the microdilution method with 96-well plates (Nest Scientific Biotechnology, Wuxi, China). The experimental procedures followed the methodology presented in our previous publications [ 30 , 31 ]. The activity of the pomegranate extract against clinical strains of the yeast Candida albicans , clinical strains of the bacteria responsible for wound infections Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, and the periopathogens Schaalia odontolytica ( Actinomyces odontolyticus ) ATCC 17929, Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586, Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277, and Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611 was investigated.…”