Assessing the Antifungal Effects of Posaconazole and Voriconazole on Soft Liners

Cureus. 2024 Dec 6;16(12):e75215. doi: 10.7759/cureus.75215. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction The cushion effect of soft liners serves to distribute the mastication forces and stresses more evenly, along with absorbing energy. Instead, soft liners can act as a nidus for microbial growth, especially Candida species. An accumulation of these fungi is a problem encountered during the clinical use of them, especially in immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antifungal activity of soft liners when combined with posaconazole and voriconazole. Methods For this study, one soft liner and two antifungal drugs were used. Before testing, drugs were incorporated in a soft liner, and discs were made that were allowed to be immersed in distilled water. Three groups of five samples each were used to categorize the specimens: groups I, II, and III were GC soft liner, GC soft liner + posaconazole, and GC soft liner + voriconazole, respectively. These samples were assessed for antifungal activity on the 1st, 10th, and 20th day. For antifungal activity, the zone of growth inhibition was measured. Results A statistically significant difference in zone of growth inhibition across three groups was observed. Group II had the highest zone of inhibition, followed by group III and group I, which had the least. In intragroup comparisons over different time intervals, statistically significant variations were observed; day 20 had the highest zone of inhibition, followed by day 10 and day 1. Conclusion Significant changes were seen in the antifungal properties of posaconazole and voriconazole with the soft liner. Posaconazole in soft liners showed a significantly higher zone of growth inhibition than the other two groups.

Keywords: antifungal; candida albicans; posaconazole; soft liner; voriconazole.