Evaluation of the Antifungal Effect of <i>Rhus verniciflua</i> Stokes Extract for Oral Application Potential

oleh: Yu-Rin Kim, Gyoo-Cheon Kim, Seoul-Hee Nam

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-09-01

Deskripsi

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: This study confirms the possibility of using <i>Rhus verniciflua</i> Stokes (RVS) extract as a natural treatment for oral candidiasis. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: RVS was extracted with 70% ethanol to examine the antioxidant activity through polyphenol, flavonoid content, and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl). To evaluate the antifungal effect against <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>; KCTC 7965/ATCC 10231) and evaluate the stability of RVS, a water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay was performed in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). <i>Results</i>: The findings revealed that RVS extract has fairly high antioxidant activity. The clear zones of the RVS extract against <i>C. albicans</i> increased in diameter due to the inhibition of fungal growth at higher concentrations. Treatment with the 1.25 mg/mL RVS extract had a more than 99% antifungal effect against <i>C. albicans</i>, and the 20 mg/mL RVS extract had a 100% antifungal effect. The WST-1 assay showed that the RVS extract induced low cell viability in the HaCaT cells, which inhibited their proliferation, and the RVS extract is also toxic to normal cells. <i>Conclusions</i>: Although the RVS extract with high antioxidant activity showed clear antifungal activity against <i>C. albicans</i>, it exhibited a low survival rate. Therefore, the development of a safe natural antibiotic is necessary.