Comparison of Antifungal Properties of Acrylic Resin Reinforced with ZnO and Ag Nanoparticles

Background: metalic-Nanoparticles (NPs) is new antifungal materials versus the resistant fungi as Candida albicans (C. albicans) that is the main factor of acrylic-denture candidosis. Whenever Ag NPs as a strong antifungal metalic-NPs exhibit toxic effect on human cells, the aim of this study was evaluation the antifungal effects of ZnO NPs in acrylic resin (polymethyle methacrylate (PMMA)) as a more biocompatible material on C. albicans in comparison to acrylic resin (PMMA) containing Ag NPs. Methods: In this laboratory study, eleven 10-member groups of acrylic resin specimens with ZnO NPs and Ag NPs (totally 110 specimens) were used. The weight percent of NPs 0.5, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20%, that were added to the monomer in each phase and after mixing with powder, flasking carried out in a conventional manner and in a flask with 12 cylindrical cavities with a diameter of 10 mm and thickness of 4 mm in internal space to produce discoid specimens, after deflasking the specimens were finished, polished, cleaned ultrasonically for 5 min in ethanol, rinsed with sterile water and dried in warm air. Afterward they inucleated by 0.1 ml of an inoculating suspension containing 103 concentration of C. albicans (ATCC 10231) and were incubated for 24 hours. Then, the sample was washed with 4.8 ml of 0.9%NaCl solution, and 0.1mL of the washing NaCl solution was taken and cultured on tutrient agar, then incubated for another 24 hours and colony numbers were counted and the data was analyzed by one way ANOVA. Results: Ag & Zno NPs could significantly decrease population of C. albicans after 24 hour of exposure time, meanwhile Ag NPs exhibited stronger antifungal effect than ZnO NPs (P˂0.001). Conclusion: Zno NPs can inhibited the C. albicans. To suggest this technique as a reliable method and determination of technical particle, the efficiency of ZnO NPs should be evaluated in clinical trials.