The enhancement effect of three sugar alcohols on the fungicidal effect of benzethonium chloride toward Candida albicans.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the sugar alcohols erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol enhance the fungicidal effect of benzethonium chloride (BTC) toward in vitro candidal biofilms.


METHODS
An in vitroCandida albicans biofilm was formed on a plastic coverslip coated with type I collagen. The enhancement of the fungicidal effect was evaluated using microbial assay after treating the biofilm with the test solutions (sugar alcohols: erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol, each containing BTC solution).


RESULTS
No fungicidal effect was observed with sugar alcohols without BTC. The fungicidal effect of erythritol-containing BTC increased with the erythritol concentration. Further, the level of enhancement of erythritol was the highest in three sugar alcohols.


CONCLUSIONS
Sugar alcohols, especially erythritol, enhanced the fungicidal effect of BTC toward in vitro candidal biofilms.
Ichikawa
T
T
Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Prosthodontics and Implantology, The University of Tokushima, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan. ichi@dent.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Yano
Y
Y
Fujita
Y
Y
Kashiwabara
T
T
Nagao
K
K
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001558:Benzethonium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004896:Erythritol / Q000494:pharmacology; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000494:pharmacology
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D001558:Benzethonium; D013012:Sorbitol; D004896:Erythritol; D014993:Xylitol