title: Effect of the high molecular weight chitosan and sodium alginate on Candida albicans hydrophobicity and adhesion to cells.
abstract: The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the effect of the high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC) and of sodium alginate (NaAL) on surface hydrophobicity of Candida albicans and on adhesion of the yeast to epithelial cells and fibroblasts of different proceeding. For this study, a collection strain and seven isolates of C. albicans from saliva (patients with denture stomatitis) were grown in Sabouraud glucose agar supplemented with HMWC or NaAL or in absence of them (control). Hydrophobicity was determined by adhesion to hydrocarbons method using two organic media (xylene and chloroform). For adhesion experiments, aqueous suspensions of yeasts were contacted with solutions of biopolymers and different cells (rat and human fibroblasts and epithelial cells Hep-2). The quantification of adhesion was made by optical microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A decrease in hydrophobicity was observed in the presence of HMWC (44%) and of NaAL (82%) when chloroform was employed as organic medium, meanwhile the decreases were of 30% with HMWC and 19% with NaAL in the presence of xylene. Adhesion of C. albicans to epithelial cells and human fibroblasts decreased significantly with both biopolymers. In the case of rat fibroblasts, a decrease was observed only with NaAL. None of experiments showed significant differences associated to fibroblast type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biopolymers showed effectiveness in reducing hydrophobicity and adhesion of C. albicans to cells, which are important virulence factors related to colonization of the soft tissues of host or acrylic surfaces present in the oral system.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina. azcurra@fcq.unc.edu.ar
authors.forename: Ana Isabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Azcurra
authors.forename: Silvina Ruth
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Barembaum
authors.forename: María Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bojanich
authors.forename: Silvia Edith
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Calamari
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Luis José
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Battellino
authors.forename: Susana Tereza
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dorronsoro
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005347:Fibroblasts; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008970:Molecular Weight
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D048271:Chitosan