Prolonged antimicrobial effect of tissue conditioners containing silver-zeolite

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the in vitro antimicrobial effect of tissue conditioners containing silver-zeolite on Candida albicans and nosocomial respiratory infection-causing bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Five commercially available tissue conditioners were selected: Visco-gel (VG), GC Soft-Liner (SL), Fitt (FT), SR-Ivoseal (IV) and Shofu Tissue Conditioner (TC). Samples, 10 x 10 x 2.5 mm in size, contained silver-zeolite (SZ sample) and no SZ (N sample). The antimicrobial effects of these two samples were evaluated as a percentage of viable cells (CFU) in a microbial suspension (100 microliter) in phosphate-buffered saline with or without immersion in artificial saliva for four weeks. The borderline of the antimicrobial effect was determined at 0.1% viable cells.

With the SZ samples, all tested microbes were killed under both conditions of no immersion and immersion in saliva. In non-immersed N samples, however, no cells of C. albicans (except with VG) and S. aureus survived, whereas the percentage of viable cells of P. aeruginosa was similar to that found in the control. However, with immersion in saliva, viable cells of C. albicans in some N samples (VG, SL and TC) increased compared with non-immersion samples by more than 0.1%.

Tissue conditioners containing SZ have been shown to have antimicrobial effects for four weeks on C. albicans and nosocomial respiratory infection-causing bacteria in saliva in vitro.