Arginine attenuates microbiologically influenced corrosion of Ti in Candida albicans-Streptococcus oralis cross-kingdom biofilms through pH buffering and biofilm suppression.

This study investigates the effect of arginine on Ti corrosion caused by a Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis) cross-border biofilm. Electrochemical analyses, surface morphologies and corrosion products analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of arginine on biofilm-associated corrosion behavior. The results showed that supplementation with 0.25% arginine significantly reduced microbial colonization and biofilm thickness on Ti surfaces, particularly in the cross-border biofilm system. In situ pH analysis further demonstrated that arginine increased both bulk-solution and localized biofilm pH, partially neutralizing the acidic microenvironment at the biofilm-Ti interface. Overall, these findings suggest that arginine mitigates Ti corrosion primarily through regulating biofilm development and the associated acidic microenvironment, providing new insights into ecological strategies for protection.