Antifungal and antibiofilm activity of telang ternate (Clitoria ternatea) extract on Candida albicans fungi causing oral candidiasis

The World Health Organization has identified fungi as necessary in human health and released a list of urgent fungal pathogens, with Candida albicans among the most critical. Oral candidiasis is the most common infection caused by Candida albicans, and biofilm formation plays a crucial role in its persistence, recurrence, and antifungal resistance. Finding new drug candidates as therapy against Candida albicans biofilm is necessary, and the telang ternate plant is a potential candidate for antifungal and antibiofilm activity. The tests showed that the ethanol extract of telang flowers contains several beneficial compounds, including alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, terpenoid, saponin, steroid, and anthocyanin. In antifungal testing, Telang ternate extract demonstrated inhibitory activity against C. albicans, with 85.10%±0.01 effectiveness, compared to the control activity of Fluconazole at 84.10%±0.01. The study found that the 1% w/v Telang Ternate plant extract provided the highest antibiofilm activity against C. albicans, with 80.81%±0.01 effectiveness in the middle phase. Telang Ternate extract effectively prevented biofilm formation during the 48-hour maturation phase, with the highest activity level at a concentration of 1% w/v, resulting in an inhibition of 78.44%±0.01. However, as the biofilm fully formed during the maturation phase, the extract's potency decreased, making it less effective against the stronger and more resistant biofilm. Telang ternate extract inhibited C. albicans biofilm by 72.00%±0.01, while Fluconazole reduced it by 75.30%±0.01 at the same concentration. SEM shows that Telang Ternate extract can cause damage in the extracellular polymeric matrix (EPS) of C. albicans biofilm. In conclusion, Telang Ternate extract acts as a potential antibiofilm activity against C. albicans (compared to fluconazole as a controlled drug) and develops a new antibiofilm agent.