Evaluation of the Effect of Lemongrass Essential Oil on Candida Albicans Adhesion on Heat Cured Acrylic Based Soft Lining Material

Background: Microorganism buildup is one of the most critical issues encountered with soft denture liner materials. The buildup of the fungus Candida albicans results in a disease known as denture-induced stomatitis. Therefore, creating a soft liner material with a medication delivery mechanism is required. This study aims to discover the best concentrations of lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) that are effective for inhibiting C. albicans growth for addition to the heat-cured soft denture liner materials. Materials and methods: For pilot study, three specimens were fabricated for each of the three concentrations (2.5, 5, and 7.5 vol%) of LGEO additives. For the main study, 40 specimens were prepared and divided into four groups (negative control, 2.5 vol.% LGEO additive, 5 vol.% LGEO additive, and positive control, which contained 1.4 wt.% nystatin additive) in accordance to the results of the pilot study. Each group consisted of 10 specimens. Results: In the pilot study, 2.5 and 5 vol.% LGEO were identified as the best two concentrations with good antifungal activity in the selected heat-cured soft-liner material. Meanwhile, the C. albicans adherence test showed that the number of C. albicans cells adhering to the soft liner specimens incorporating 2.5 and 5 vol.% LEGO additive (experimental groups) significantly decreased relative to that to specimens in the control negative and control positive groups (P < 0.05). The best concentration of LGEO additive that decreased the number of adherent C. albicans was 5 vol.%. Conclusion: The results of this work show that LGEO is a potent antifungal substance that may be effectively incorporated into soft liners to create materials that are effective against C. albicans fungi.