Comparison of Antimicrobial Activity of Chlorhexidine, Coconut Oil, Probiotics, and Ketoconazole onCandida albicansIsolated in Children with Early Childhood Caries: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

Background. Early childhood caries (ECC) is associated with early colonisation and high levels of cariogenic microorganisms. WithC. albicansbeing one of those, there is a need to determine the effectiveness of various chemotherapeutic agents against it. The study is aimed at isolatingCandidaspecies in children with ECC and at studying the antifungal effect of coconut oil, probiotics,Lactobacillus, and 0.2% chlorhexidine onC. albicansin comparison with ketoconazole.Materials and Methods. Samples were collected using sterile cotton swabs, swabbed on the tooth surfaces from children with ECC of 3 to 6 yrs and streaked on Sabouraud dextrose agar (HI Media) plates and incubated in a 5% CO2enriched atmosphere at 37°C for 24 hours.Candidawas isolated and its susceptibility to probiotics, chlorhexidine, ketoconazole, and coconut oil was determined using Disc Diffusion method.Results. The mean zone of inhibition for chlorhexidine was 21.8 mm, whereas for coconut oil it was 16.8 mm, for probiotics it was 13.5 mm, and for ketoconazole it was 22.3 mm. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant (Chi-square value 7.42,Pvalue 0.06).Conclusion. Chlorhexidine and coconut oil have shown significant antifungal activity which is comparable with ketoconazole.