The effect of sucrose on the colonization of acrylic by Candida albicans in pure and mixed culture in an artificial mouth.

The roles of sucrose and microbial interactions in the colonization of acrylic by Candida albicans in an artificial mouth were investigated. The acrylic was colonized by pure cultures of the organism but a visible plaque was not produced whether or not sucrose was present. Salivary bacteria had no effect in the absence of sucrose but when sucrose was present the numbers of C. albicans were significantly increased. It is suggested that this phenomenon is related to the production of extracellular polysaccharides by salivary streptococci in the presence of sucrose. In mixed culture of C. albicans and Streptococcus salivarius CJ2, growth of the latter was inhibited in the presence of sucrose. This inhibition was due to factors other than pH, although no such antagonism could be demonstrated on solid media.