Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan from Milkfish Scales ( Chanos chanos ) on the Oral Pathogen Candida Albicans

Candida albicans is an oral commensal flora that causes opportunistic local and systemic infections in immune compromised individuals. The main chemical agents for eradication of pathogenic microbes are antibiotics. For many times antibiotics was gold key for treatment of pathogens. However, in recent years antibiotic resistant microbes was increased and the use of antibiotics for treatment of pathogenic microbes had less efficiency. Chitosan is a natural polymer derived from chitin, which exerts antimicrobial effects against bacteria and fungi. This study aims to utilize waste milkfish scales as raw materials for making chitosan and applying chitosan from milkfish waste scales as antimicrobial against C. albicans. The antimicrobial activity was carried out by using the well diffusion method. The result of this research shows that chitosan that maats the standar of Proton Biopolymer. The result can be concluded that chitosan can inhibit the growth of C. albicans. The inhibition of chitosan concentration of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% of the growth of C. albicans each inhibitory zone formed with an average diameter of 9.5 mm, 10.8 mm, 14.3 mm and 16,6 mm. Based on the category of David and Stout, chitosan concentration of 1.5% and 2% belong to the category of strong inhibitory power in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans, a concentration of 0.5% and 1% falls into the category of medium.