Anti-biofilm properties of clover honey against <i>Candida albicans</i>

Abstract

Candida albicans grows rapidly when the microflora becomes imbalanced due to a variety of factors. Its ability to infect a host is aided by its virulence factors, such as biofilm. This study aimed to evaluate the activity of clover honey in inhibiting and degrading the biofilm formation of C. albicans in vitro. This study used a true experimental design with an in vitro post-test-only control group design approach. The microtiter plate assay was used to grow planktonic cells and biofilm. This method was carried out to obtain the Optical Density (OD) value for each test, measured by a Microplate Reader. Cell viability was measured using the MTS Assay kit, the biofilm matrix was measured using the Crystal Violet Assay, and the morphology of C. albicans biofilms was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Probit and One-way ANOVA tests were applied to determine the MIC50 of both planktonic and biofilm, as well as statistical analysis. The results showed that clover honey exerted inhibitory activity against C. albicans planktonic cells at a MIC50value of 31.60% w/v. At the highest concentration, clover honey exhibited antibiofilm activity by lowering the extracellular matrix and viability of C. albicans cells by 64.59% and 72.09%, respectively. Based on SEM observation, clover honey changed the cell morphology of C. albicans and reduced the thickness of the biofilm. Overall, our findings concluded that clover honey exhibited antifungal properties against C. albicans by inhibiting biofilm formation and degrading mature biofilm.