N S Shree Abiraami, Pillai Devika S, Shanmugam Rajeshkumar
Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Nanobiomedicine, Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 24;16(9):e70093. doi: 10.7759/cureus.70093. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Candida species, especially , cause oral candidiasis, also known as oral thrush. It affects the elderly, newborns, patients under antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, and patients with weaker immune systems. Although successful, traditional antifungal medications are available, they may have negative effects and do not prevent recurrence. Conventional antifungal medications have a restricted range of effectiveness; hence, the need for a novel antifungal agent arises. Chitosan, a natural polymer made from chitin found in crustaceans, kills fungal cells by damaging membranes. Excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability make it a promising medical material. Probiotics, live bacteria, compete with pathogenic microbes for adhesion sites and nutrients, produce antimicrobials such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocins, and modulate the host's immunological response. Adding probiotics to chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) boosts their antifungal activity against Candida species and increases their stability and transport to the infection site.
The antifungal activity was evaluated through in vitro experiments utilizing Candida strains that are significant to oral candidiasis. Different concentrations of CSNPs and formulations loaded with probiotics were examined to assess their effectiveness. The antifungal properties were assessed using microbiological assays, specifically agar diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).
The study demonstrated a notable fungicidal impact of CSNPs combined with probiotics against oral candidiasis. Furthermore, the MIC values were lower for the probiotic-loaded CSNPs than for chitosan alone or probiotics alone.
The combination of CSNPs and probiotics shows potential in effectively combating oral candidiasis by inhibiting fungal growth. This novel method offers a promising strategy for creating therapeutic treatments for oral candidiasis by utilizing the combined benefits of chitosan and probiotics to combat fungal infections effectively.
念珠菌属，尤其是白色念珠菌，可引发口腔念珠菌病，亦称鹅口疮。它会影响老年人、新生儿、使用抗生素和化疗药物的患者以及免疫系统较弱的患者。尽管传统抗真菌药物取得了成功，但它们可能有负面影响且无法预防复发。传统抗真菌药物的有效性范围有限；因此，需要一种新型抗真菌剂。壳聚糖是一种由甲壳类动物中的几丁质制成的天然聚合物，通过破坏细胞膜杀死真菌细胞。出色的生物相容性和生物降解性使其成为一种有前景的医用材料。益生菌，即活细菌，与致病微生物竞争黏附位点和营养物质，产生乳酸、过氧化氢和细菌素等抗菌物质，并调节宿主的免疫反应。将益生菌添加到壳聚糖纳米颗粒（CSNPs）中可增强其对念珠菌属的抗真菌活性，并提高其稳定性以及向感染部位的转运能力。
通过利用对口腔念珠菌病有重要意义的念珠菌菌株进行体外实验来评估抗真菌活性。检测了不同浓度的CSNPs和负载益生菌的制剂，以评估其有效性。使用微生物学检测方法，特别是琼脂扩散法和最低抑菌浓度（MIC）来评估抗真菌特性。
该研究表明CSNPs与益生菌联合对口腔念珠菌病具有显著的杀菌作用。此外，负载益生菌的CSNPs的MIC值低于单独的壳聚糖或单独的益生菌。
CSNPs与益生菌的组合在通过抑制真菌生长有效对抗口腔念珠菌病方面显示出潜力。这种新方法通过利用壳聚糖和益生菌的联合优势有效对抗真菌感染，为创建口腔念珠菌病的治疗方法提供了一种有前景的策略。
