An In-Vitro Evaluation of Antifungal Efficacy and Tensile Strength of Denture Tissue Conditioner with Indian Turmeric Oil

Denture tissue conditioners are frequently colonised by Candida albicans, leading to denture stomatitis, because conventional materials lack antifungal activity. Turmeric oil, rich in curcumin, exhibits antifungal activity. This study investigated the effect of turmeric oil on the antifungal activity and tensile strength of denture tissue conditioners.

The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of turmeric oil against C. albicans was determined using a microbroth dilution assay with each concentration tested in triplicate. Tissue-conditioner samples were prepared with turmeric oil concentrations ranging from 2% to 20% (w/w). A 10% nystatin solution served as the positive control, and the unmodified tissue conditioner as the negative control. Antifungal activity was assessed by agar diffusion on days 1, 7, and 14, and tensile strength was measured using a universal testing machine. Statistical analyses included Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

The MIC of turmeric oil against C. albicans was 12.5 µg/mL, with antifungal activity increasing at higher concentrations. On day 1, the 20% formulation produced inhibition zones comparable to those of nystatin (23.05 ± 0.12 mm versus 27.04 ± 0.11 mm; p = 0.001). Although antifungal activity persisted for 14 days, activity declined after day 7. Tensile strength in the 20% group rose significantly from 0.086 ± 0.013 MPa on day 1 to 0.191 ± 0.038 MPa on day 14 (p = 0.001), in both control groups.

Turmeric oil displayed stronger antifungal activity while maintaining acceptable tensile strength. However, its effectiveness declined over time, indicating that it may offer only short-term protection. As these findings are based on in vitro testing, clinical studies are required to assess the performance of this approach in clinical practice.

A denture tissue conditioner with 20% turmeric oil effectively inhibited C. albicans compared to nystatin. It also maintained good tensile strength, suggesting it could help reduce denture stomatitis.