Comparison of antifungal effect of xanthorrhizol (Curcuma xanthorrhiza roxb.) and 2% chlorhexidine against candida albicans American type culture collection 10231 biofilm

Objective: Several studies suggest that 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), an effective irrigation solution against Candida albicans biofilm, is toxic to host cells, thus an effective and safe alternative irrigation solution is needed. Java turmeric (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) containing xanthorrhizol (XNT) has been reported to have an antifungal effect, yet no studies to date have reported the optimum dose of XNT in inhibiting C. albicans biofilm, so the aim of this study was to determine the optimum dose of XNT against C. albicans biofilm. Methods: C. albicans American Type and Culture Collection (ATCC) 10231 biofilm was exposed to XNT for 15 min. Then, the antifungal effect was tested using 3-[4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenytetrazolium bromide reduction assay and total plate count (TPC). Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the percentage of biofilm eradication and TPC results following exposure of C. albicans ATCC 10231 biofilm to 1% XNT, 1.25% XNT, and 2% CHX. Conclusion: Our results suggest that 1% XNT and 1.25% XNT have an antifungal effect against C. albicans ATCC 10231 biofilm equivalent to that of 2% CHX.