The effect of Piper betle against Candida albicans adherence to denture acrylic surfaces

Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants has been identified since ancient times, and has been used to cure bacterial and fungal diseases. Piper betle is an important medicinal plant with its medicinal properties extending to antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic fungi and bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of P. betle leaf extract on Candida albicans adhesion on denture acrylics. Young betel leaves (1 st - 3 rd leaf) were subjected to vacuum infiltration with ethanol. Anticandidal activity of a range of concentrations of the leaf extract (5,000 – 10,000 ppm) was assessed against C. albicans (ATCC 90028) and seven laboratory isolates using the agar well bioassay. Further, the same concentrations were used to test their ability to suppress the adhesion of C. albicans on denture acrylics, as compared to a commercial denture cleanser (positive control), and sterile distilled water (negative control) using an adhesion assay. The results indicated that sterile distilled water had the highest adhesion (23.75 ±5.3 cells per unit area) while both, the leaf extract of concentrations of 8,000 – 10,000 ppm and the commercial denture cleanser showed significant (p C. albicans adhesion on denture acrylics. There was no significant difference between adhesion in an 8000 ppm concentration extract of P. betle and the commercial denture cleanser of equal concentration, indicating that betel leaf extract is as efficient as the commercial denture cleanser, in suppressing the adhesion of C. albicans on denture acrylic surfaces