Evaluation of the Anticandidal Effect of Medicinal Plant Extracts to Drug Resistant Candida Albicans Isolates from Type Two Diabetic patients with Stage Three Periodontitis.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the anticandidal efficacy of nine medicinal plants to drug resistant Candida albicans isolates from diabetic patients with chronic periodontitis. A comparison was done with chlorhexidine gluconate.

METHODS

Isolates from the periodontal pockets of 121 diabetics with severe periodontitis was obtained. Sensitivity to four antifungal antibiotics was assessed by disc diffusion method. Anticandidal activity of cold ethanol and hot aqueous extracts of nine plants were evaluated by well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by microtube broth dilution method.

RESULTS

C. albicans was found to be the predominant species. None of the isolates extended resistance to amphotericin B. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Punica granatum, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula extended notable anticandidal efficacy, and the ethanol extracts were more active. Chlorhexidine extended better efficacy than the plant extracts.

CONCLUSIONS

C albicans is the prevalent yeast among diabetics with periodontitis. Presence of multidrug resistant for C. albicans is a challenge. P. granatum, T. bellerica and T. chebula can be explored for the development of safer anticandidal agents.