Antimicrobial activity of denture adhesive associated with Equisetum giganteum- and Punica granatum-enriched fractions against Candida albicans biofilms on acrylic resin surfaces

Abstract

Candida biofilms adhere to the internal surface of removable dentures, which is an etiological factor in the pathogenesis of denture stomatitis (DS). Adhesive materials are used at the base of maxillary complete dentures to improve their retention and chewing qualities. This article reports the antimicrobial activity of the enriched fractions of Equisetum giganteum and Punica granatum incorporated into a denture adhesive against C. albicans biofilm. The biofilms were induced on the surface of heat-cured acrylic resin specimens that were previously treated with a mixture of adhesive/herb extracts. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by CFU counts, XTT reduction, and SEM and CLSM analysis. Both herb extracts amplified the anti-biofilm action of the adhesive on the acrylic resin by up to 12 h. Therefore, when these extracts were combined with COREGA®, they played a collaborative and innovative role in biofilm control and can be considered alternatives for temporary use in the treatment and/or prevention of DS.

Keywords:

• Denture stomatitis
• herbal medicines
• pomegranate
• giant horsetail
• anti-biofilm
• alternative therapy

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Gisele da Silva Dalben, Margery Galbraith and Taylor & Francis English Language Editing service for their English Language editing services, Prof. Dr José Roberto Pereira Lauris for statistical analyses of this work, Marcia Sirlene Zardin Graeff for CLSM analysis and Tatiani Ayako Goto Donato for the SEM analysis.