The effect of nonnutritive sweeteners on the antifungal activity of black and green tea aqueous extracts against salivary Candida albicans an (in-vitro study)

Oral diseases, while largely preventable, pose a major health burden for many countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort and disfigurement. Mouth washing agents are an effective vehicle for antimicrobial compounds in reducing oral pathogens, managing dental plaque and maintaining proper oral health. Numerous plant extracts have been successfully incorporated into oral care products due to their antimicrobial properties, availability, and affordability. Tea plants and extracts are one of the most important natural compounds used in dental care products. The problem with tea extracts is their bitter taste, which could compromise their usage by people. So, it needs a kind of supplementation to be palatable, especially for the pediatric and geriatric populations. Hence a nonnutritive sweetener was added to tea extracts to suppress their bitter taste. This study aimed to determine the effect of nonnutritive sweeteners on the antifungal activity of black and green tea aqueous extracts against salivary C. albicans. The results showed that adding 1% of stevia and sucralose to the black and green tea aqueous extracts did not affect the antifungal activity against salivary C.