Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida

Species Involved in Denture Stomatitis

Ana Carolina Loureiro Gama Mota, DDS, MSc, Ricardo Dias de Castro, DDS, MSc, PhD,
Julyana de Araújo Oliveira, DDS, & Edeltrudes de Oliveira Lima, DDS, MSc, PhD
Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, João Pessoa, Paraı́ba, Brazil

Keywords
Dental prosthesis; Candida albicans; denture
stomatitis; acetic acid.
Correspondence
Julyana de Araújo Oliveira, Rua Antônio Luna
Lisboa, 41, Cristo Redentos, João Pessoa,
Paraı́ba, CEP:58071025, Brazil.
E-mail: julyana86@hotmail.com
The authors deny any conflicts of interest.
Accepted March 18, 2014
doi: 10.1111/jopr.12207
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of apple cider vinegar on Candida
spp. involved in denture stomatitis.
Material and Methods: The microdilution technique was used to determine the min-
imum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC)
of apple cider vinegar containing 4% maleic acid, and nystatin (control). Further tests
of microbial kinetics and inhibition of adherence to acrylic resin were performed test-
ing different concentrations (MIC, MICx2, MICx4) of the products at time intervals of
0, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. A roughness meter was used to measure the changes
in surface roughness; color change of the acrylic resin specimens exposed to the test
products in different concentrations and time intervals were also evaluated.
Results: Apple cider vinegar (4%) showed MIC of 2500 μg/ml and MFC of 2500,
5000, and 10,000 μg/ml depending on the strain tested. Nystatin showed MIC of
3.125 μg/ml and strain-dependent MFC values ranging from 3.125 to 12.5 μg/ml.
The microbial kinetic assay showed a statistical difference between apple cider vinegar
and nystatin (p < 0.0001). After 30 minutes of exposure, apple cider vinegar showed
fungicidal effect at MICx4, whereas nystatin maintained its fungistatic effect. Apple
cider vinegar showed greater inhibition of adherence (p < 0.001) compared to control.
Apple cider vinegar did not significantly alter the surface roughness of the acrylic resin
specimens compared to nystatin (p > 0.05), and both had no influence on their color.
Conclusion: Apple cider vinegar showed antifungal properties against Candida spp.,
thus representing a possible therapeutic alternative for patients with denture stomatitis.

Denture stomatitis can be defined as an erythematous and usu-
ally asymptomatic condition of the mucosa underlying a dental
prosthesis. It has multifactorial etiology, but is especially asso-
ciated with Candida albicans, which is found in higher propor-
tions on the surface of complete maxillary dentures. It is known
that the bases of these prosthetic devices can act as reservoirs
of infection, and the adherence of yeasts to the acrylic resin is
a prerequisite for colonization of the oral mucosa. Hence, the
adherence of C. albicans to inert surfaces would be a pioneer-
ing step for successful colonization and development of this
disease.1
The treatment of lesions associated with denture stomatitis,
which is one type of oral candidiasis, encompasses denture and
oral cavity hygiene instructions, removal of the irritant factor
(prosthetic device), use of antifungal agents, and acquisition of a
new denture.2 Some synthetic products have been described for
the treatment of candidiasis, among them nystatin, miconazole,
amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole.
Nevertheless, some authors suggest that these antimicrobials
can cause toxic effects, even at doses required to achieve good
results.3,4
According to some authors,4 the increased number and use
of conventional antifungals for the treatment of systemic and
superficial infections resulted in the selection of resistant strains
in patients at risk for disseminated infections by Candida, par-
ticularly those individuals with severe and immunosuppressive
diseases. This fact justifies the availability of new therapies
that minimize the undesirable consequences of the conventional
agents, allowing a better use in everyday practice. Among the
new alternatives under study for the treatment of denture stom-
atitis, maleic acid has been addressed as an important element
contained in apple cider vinegar, with bactericidal and fungici-
dal activity. It has already been employed in dentistry as an an-
timicrobial solution used during chemomechanical preparation
of root canals, alone or in combination with ethylenediamine
tetra-acetic acid.5-8
Due to the high content of organic acids with antimicrobial
activity, vinegar is used in food mainly as a preservative item

Journal of Prosthodontics 00 (2014) 1–7 

C 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists 1
Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species
Table 1 Product evaluated in tests for determining antifungal and non-
stick activities
Product Main chemical constituent(s)
Apple cider vinegar Maleic acid, acetic acid, pectin, beta
carotene, acetoin, methanol, alanine,
ethanol, ethyl acetate, lactic acid,
methanol, glycerol, tartaric acid, in
addition to mineral salts, phosphorus,
potassium, chloride, sodium and other
minerals11-14
by inhibiting fungal growth on vegetables. It is also used as
a cleaning agent in folk culture for the treatment of wounds
by inhibiting the growth of fungi and bacteria owing to its
medicinal properties.9,10
Thus, due to apple cider vinegar’s easy application and low
cost and toxicity, this study aimed to evaluate its in vitro anti-
fungal properties on Candida species. To simulate its effect as
an alternative therapy for denture stomatitis, this article aimed
to further evaluate the physical properties of acrylic resin as to
the surface roughness and color change after different periods
of exposure to apple cider vinegar.
Materials and methods
This was an in vitro experimental study performed at the Mycol-
ogy Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the
Center for Health Sciences, Universidade Federal da Paraı́ba,
Brazil. Apple cider vinegar (Minhoto R
, lot L321B)—which
includes 4% maleic acid (40,000 μg/ml) in its composition—
manufactured and distributed by Raymundo da Fonte AS R
Industries (Paulista, Pernambuco, Brazil) was tested. Regard-
ing the chemical components of the tested substance, we pro-
ceeded with a review of the literature, considering studies that
performed chromatographic analysis and nuclear magnetic res-
onance (Table 1).11-14 The product was evaluated for the mini-
mum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal con-
centration (MFC), microbial kinetics, inhibition of adherence
of Candida spp. to the surface of the acrylic resin, and changes
in acrylic resin surface roughness and color. Controls of yeast
viability and standard antifungal (nystatin) were also checked.
Among the antifungal drugs chosen for the topical treatment
of oral fungal infections, including denture stomatitis, are nys-
tatin and miconazole, which act on the plasma membrane of a
fungal cell, changing its permeability by blocking the synthe-
sis of ergosterol. Nistatine, belonging to the polyene group, is
administered as an oral suspension, containing 100,000 IU/ml,
three to four times daily by mouth rinsing for 15 days.15 Mi-
conazole, on the other hand, is an antifungal belonging to the
azole group, and it is available on the market in the form of
gel (20 mg/g). Its application is recommended three to four
times daily for 15 days on the mucosal area underlying the
prosthesis.16,17 In this study, nystatin (obtained from Sigma-
Aldrich Lab, St. Louis, MO) was chosen for being one of the
main drugs used in antifungal treatments, also reported in the
2 Journal of Prosthodontics 00 (2014) 1–7 
Mota et al
literature as effective against strains of Candida spp. resistant
to azole.18
Regarding the biological activity assays, Sabourand Dextrose
agar (SDA) was used in the microbial kinetic and adherence
tests, while Sabourand broth (SB) was used in the microdilu-
tion technique and as culture medium for yeast growth. The
following strains were tested: C. albicans ATCC 76485, C.
albicans LM 21, C. albicans MI03, C. albicans LM 615, C.
albicans LM 13, C. tropicalis, ATCC 13803, C. tropicalis LM
33, and C. tropicalis LM 70. From stock cultures, a subcul-
ture (reinoculation) was made of the organisms in sterile tubes
containing SDA, running two passes to ensure purity and vi-
ability. Among the existing species of Candida, C. albicans
and C. tropicalis were selected for being the most prevalent in
oral fungal infection.19 These species exhibit specific virulence
factors favoring the formation of biofilms and production of
extracellular enzymes such as proteases and phospholipases,
which promote the destruction of host tissues.20 C. albicans
represented the largest number of strains selected in this study.
The colonies were suspended in 5 ml of sterile saline 0.145
mol/l (8.5 g/l NaCl; 0.85% saline). The resulting suspension
was placed in a vortex mixer for 15 seconds, and cell den-
sity was adjusted using a spectrophotometer for 0.5 McFarland
scale at a wavelength of 530 nm. The endogenous pH of vine-
gar was measured immediately after the package was opened
at room temperature (20°C) using a pH meter (TEC-2; Tecnal,
Sion Paulo, Brazil) accurate to 0.1 mm
Determination of MIC and MFC
MIC values were determined by the microdilution technique
using 96-well microplates.21,22 To this end, 100 μl of SB dou-
bly concentrated were placed in each well, followed by 100 μl
of the test product (apple cider vinegar or nystatin at an ini-
tial concentration of 40,000 and 100 μg/l, respectively). Then,
a 100 μl aliquot was withdrawn from the most concentrated
well and placed in the following one, proceeding with a serial
dilution. Finally, each well received 10 μl of inoculum (corre-
sponding to the strain tested). Tests were performed in triplicate
and plates incubated at 35°C for 48 hours, considering MIC
as the lowest concentration of the test product able to inhibit
visible yeast growth. To confirm the presence of viable or un-
viable microorganisms, 10 μl of the TTC dye (2,3,5-triphenyl
tetrazolium chloride) was used in each well, reflecting the activ-
ity of dehydrogenase enzymes involved in cellular respiration.
According to this method, the live microorganisms are red.23,24
Visual readings of the plates were carried out after 24 hours of
incubation.
The MFC was determined by adding an aliquot of 10 μl of
the subculture to 100 μl of SB plus 100 μl of the product at MIC
and two higher concentrations (MICx2 and MICx4). Positive
controls were subcultured in microdilution plates containing
100 μl of SB. After incubation for 24 hours at 35°C, visual
readings began, considering the formation of cell “clusters” in
the bottom of the wells.21,22 For better viewing of the findings,
10 μl of TTC was added.23,24 The MFC was then characterized
as lowest concentration of the test product able to inhibit the
yeast growth.
C 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists
Mota et al Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species

Microbial kinetic assay

Similar to microbial kinetics, which evaluates the action of a
microorganism on a particular product over the time, the strain
of C. albicans LM 615 was used for presenting the best micro-
bial growth in the MIC and MFC tests. In this assay, 0.5 ml of
the yeast suspension was inoculated in 4.5 ml of SB containing
the test products (apple cider vinegar and nystatin) at con-
centrations adjusted to MIC, MICx2, and MICx4. In the time
intervals corresponding to 0 (t0), 30 (t1), 60 (t2), 120 (t3), and
180 minutes (t4), 10 μl aliquots were withdrawn from the sus-
pensions and seeded on SDA plates. After incubation at 35°C Figure 1 Microbial death curve of apple cider vinegar as a function of
for 24 hours, the number of colony-forming units (CFU) were time.
counted and then presented as microbial death curve graphs.

Tests for inhibition of adherence and changes in

acrylic resin surface roughness and color
To verify the inhibition of fungal adherence to the acrylic resin
as well as changes in surface roughness and color, 74 spec-
imens (12 mm diameter, 7 mm thick) of self-polymerizable
acrylic resin (Vip Flash) were prepared. These were finished
with tungsten cutters (Edenta AG, Au, Switzerland) and were
sanded with carborundum sandpapers # 220, 330, 600, and
1200. In addition, the specimens were polished with felt disks
embedded in a slurry of pumice/distilled water and then washed Figure 2 Microbial death curve of nystatin as a function of time.
and sterilized. For standardization of the cuts, artifacts were
made in Bakelite containing a center hole where specimens
were placed. The methodology used for testing surface rough-
ness was based on the studies of Saito et al,25 Ribeiro et al,26
Nagem Filho et al,27 and Sartori et al.28
To evaluate the inhibition of adherence to the acrylic resin,
15 specimens were inoculated with C. albicans strains LM 615
in test tubes containing 2.5 ml of SB and 0.5 ml of the yeast sus-
pension and later incubated at 35°C for 48 hours. The specimens
were randomly divided into three groups: (1) Negative control
(to prove the adherence of microorganisms to the acrylic resin);
Figure 3 CFU after action of apple cider vinegar and nystatin at MIC,
(2) Apple cider vinegar, and (3) Nystatin. Regarding the neg-
MICx2, and MICx4 concentrations compared to control.
ative control, after the incubation period, the specimens were
washed and placed in tubes containing 5 ml of saline (0.85%
were immersed in the respective concentrations for 30, 60, 120,
NaCl) and stirred for 60 seconds. Then, 10 μl of the solution
and 180 minutes. Then, they were washed with distilled water,
was seeded on SDA plates and incubated at 35°C for 48 hours
dried on absorbent paper, and subjected to rugosimetry.
for further reading and CFU counting. Similar to the other
To measure changes in the acrylic resin color, 28 specimens
groups, 0.5 ml of the three concentrations of the test product
were prepared and randomly divided according to the afore-
(apple cider vinegar: MIC, MICx2, and MICx4) were added to
mentioned groups. For the vinegar and nystatin groups, the
the solution containing SB/yeast. Only the MIC concentration
same concentrations used in the previous analyses were tested,
was used for nystatin. After the incubation period, the same
and specimens were subjected to the same exposure times (0,
procedures were performed for the control group, ending with
30, 60, 120, 180 minutes). Color analyses were carried out for
the counting of CFUs. Tests were performed in triplicate.
each interval using a color analyzer device (Model ACR-1023;
To estimate possible changes in surface roughness, 28 spec-
Instrutherm Measuring Instruments Ltd., São Paulo, Brazil;
imens were randomly divided according to the three groups
Liquid Crystal Display 59 mm × 34 mm; measurement geom-
mentioned above. For the group exposed to the action of ap-
etry: 45°/0°; spectral range 400–700 nm, color sensor—three
ple cider vinegar and nystatin, the MIC, MICx2, and MICx4
phototransmitters: red, green, and blue).
concentrations were tested. The specimens were marked at the
region corresponding to their half size, at 1 mm right and 1 mm
Statistical analysis
left and then subjected to the rugosimeter (SJ-201; Mitutoyo,
Kawasaki, Japan; roughness parameters surface roughness: 0.8 Data were entered into a database on Prism software (2004;
mm cut-off) to perform initial measurements (t = 0) at those GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA). Two-way ANOVA
three points. The surface roughness was adopted as the arith- followed by Tukey’s post-test with a significance of 5% were
metic mean of the values set for the three points. The specimens used to evaluate the antifungal activity of apple cider vinegar

Journal of Prosthodontics 00 (2014) 1–7 

C 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists 3
Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species
and nystatin. The changes caused by the apple cider vinegar on
the acrylic resin surface roughness and color were evaluated
using Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post-test.
Results
The MIC and MFC results regarding the Minhoto R
apple cider
vinegar containing 4% maleic acid (pH = 2.6), and those of
nystatin (control) are shown in Table 2. One hundred percent
of the strains tested showed fungistatic potential at 2500 μg/ml
(MIC), which corresponds to a percentage of about 0.25%
maleic acid, starting from a solution with a concentration of
2%. Of the eight strains tested, five had MFC values equivalent
to MIC. Two strains (C. albicans LM 615 and C. tropicalis LM
33) showed MFC of 5000 μg/ml and one strain (C. tropicalis
ATCC 13803) showed MFC of 10,000 μg/ml. Regarding nys-
tatin, 100% of the strains were inhibited at a concentration of
3.125 μg/ml (MIC), which was the value used as a control to
determine the subsequent tests.
Figure 1 shows the microbial death curves for apple cider
vinegar at MIC, MICx2, and MICx4 versus time. A fungistatic
effect was observed from 0 to 180 minutes for the concentra-
tions tested. For MICx4, apple cider vinegar showed a fungi-
cidal effect from 30 to 180 minutes. In this respect, there was
a statistical difference in relation to nystatin (p < 0.05), which
exhibited fungistatic effect at all concentrations tested, for any
time interval (Fig 2). Apple cider vinegar showed a statistically
significant difference for its fungistatic effect related to the one
found for the positive control and nystatin at the concentrations
corresponding to MIC and MICx2 (p < 0.05). For MICx4, ap-
ple cider vinegar showed fungicidal effect at t0, t1, t2, t3, and
t4, while nystatin maintained a fungistatic effect over all time
intervals (p < 0.0001).
Figure 3 shows the effect of apple cider vinegar on the ad-
herence of C. albicans LM 615 to the acrylic resin. There
was statistical difference between the inhibition promoted by
vinegar and the one by nystatin (p < 0.05). Vinegar was able
to reduce the microbial adherence at MIC, and prevent it at
MICx2 and MICx4.
Related to the variable surface roughness, there was no sig-
nificant change in the specimens exposed to apple cider vinegar
(Table 3). Nystatin was able to change the surface roughness at
MIC, causing surface roughness variations ranging from 0.11
to 1.2 μm according to the Dunn’s multiple comparison test
(p = 0.0011); Kruskal-Wallis statistics = 24.12. Regarding the
changes caused by the test products on a possible pigmentation
of the specimens, the findings obtained in this study indicated
that apple cider vinegar at different concentrations did not af-
fect the color of the acrylic resin specimens when exposed for
0 to 180 minutes.
Discussion
Alcohol and apple cider vinegars have been used in folk cul-
ture as disinfectants, cosmetics, food preservatives, and in the
preparation of drinks and condiments.10 In recent decades,
these products have been the object of investigations so that
they might be introduced therapeutically in various areas of
the health field. Studies published so far, however, have failed
to reach a consensus regarding the bactericidal and fungicidal
4 Journal of Prosthodontics 00 (2014) 1–7 
Mota et al
potential of vinegars, as the pharmacodynamic properties that
could scientifically support their medicinal use have not yet
been determined.5,8,10,25,29,30
Previous studies31-33 pointed out the antifungal activity of
apple cider vinegar tested at concentrations ranging from 10%
to 100%. Nevertheless, these studies did not express the MIC
and MFC values found in their experiments. In this study, apple
cider vinegar at 2500 μg/ml showed fungistatic property for all
strains studied, corresponding to 0.25% maleic acid. The differ-
ence between fungistatic (MIC) and fungicidal (MFC) activity
is species-dependent.34 This corroborates the findings reported
herein, since two strains (C. albicans LM 615, C. tropicalis
LM 33) showed MFC of 5000 μg/ml and another (C. tropicalis
ATCC 13803) showed MFC of 10,000 μg/ml. Regarding nys-
tatin, the MIC value obtained was 3.125 μg/ml, which corrob-
orates with the literature reporting fungicidal activity ranging
between 3 and 8 μg/ml.35
Determining the microbial death curve versus time is a dy-
namic process used in the evaluation of new antimicrobial
agents, allowing quantitative analysis of the fungicidal activ-
ity and of the time required until microbial death. This pro-
cess provides information more meaningful than MIC or MFC
about the behavior of the antifungal agent in contact with the
microorganism.36
Studies have reported the antifungal activity of vinegars in
predetermined times, but they have not included data regarding
the microbial kinetics of these substances. Times of action were
found ranging from 10 minutes to 8 hours, but the criteria for
choosing these times were not defined by the microbial death
curve, making the standardization of results poor.32,33 In this
study, a kinetics of antifungal activity of apple cider vinegar dif-
fered at all concentrations and time intervals from nystatin and
control, although all groups showed fungistatic activity when
tested at MIC and MICx2, between 0 and 180 minutes. When
tested at MICx4, apple cider vinegar exhibited fungistatic activ-
ity only between 0 and 30 minutes; after that, it started showing
fungicidal behavior differing from other groups. These results
suggest important pharmacokinetic parameters for determina-
tion of dosage, making possible fungicidal or fungistatic doses,
which should be selected while taking into account a patient’s
immunological conditions and the possibility of restoring the
ecological balance of the oral microbial community.
The determination of the action mechanism in apple cider
vinegar was not the purpose of this research study, although
other authors reported that acetate can inhibit 14α–lanosterol–
demethylase. Acetic acid is permeable to intact cell membranes,
facilitating its access to the molecular target and causing an
increase of its concentration within the cell so that it becomes
toxic. This situation leads to activation of H + ATPase.37,38
Another study demonstrated, from flow cytometry, loss of cell
integrity after exposure to high concentrations of acetic acid.39
Similar to nystatin, fungistatic action was observed with ap-
ple cider vinegar when tested at MIC, MICx2, and MICx4
for all times (0 to 180 minutes). Previous results indicated
its fungistatic activity at concentrations between MICx0.5
and MICx2, corroborating the findings reported in this study.
Nevertheless, fungicidal activity was found only at concentra-
tions ࣙMICx4, which disagrees with the findings of this study
for such concentrations.18,35,36
C 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists
Mota et al Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species

Table 2 Results of MIC and MFC of apple cider vinegar and nystatin against Candida spp.

Apple cider vinegar Nystatin

Strains MIC (μg/ml) MFC (μg/ml) MIC (μg/ml) MFC (μg/ml)

C. albicans LM 21 2500 2500 3.125 6.25

C. albicans MI03 2500 2500 3.125 12.5
C. albicans LM 615 2500 5000 3.125 12.5
C. albicans LM 13 2500 2500 3.125 3.125
C. albicans ATCC 76485 2500 2500 3.125 6.25
C. tropicalis ATCC 13803 2500 10,000 3.125 12.5
C. tropicalis LM 33 2500 5000 3.125 3.125
C. tropicalis LM 708 2500 2500 3.125 3.125

Table 3 Mean surface roughness of specimens exposed to the action of apple cider vinegar and nystatin throughout the time periods evaluated

Means of surface roughness (μm)

Apple cider vinegar

Time (minutes) MIC MICx2 MICx4 Nystatin Control

0 0.12 0.19 0.12 0.11 0.09

30 0.12 0.14 0.13 0.77 0.11
60 0.14 0.16 0.11 1.1 0.11
120 0.13 0.14 0.11 1.2 0.09
180 0.14 0.13 0.11 1.2 0.1

The adherence of Candida spp. to the surface of the acrylic
resin is usually the first step for colonization of the mucosae di-
rectly in contact with removable dentures. This biofilm formed
by Candida spp. is commonly resistant to the traditional anti-
fungal therapy.40-42 Therefore, the need emerges for a constant
search for agents able to effectively act in the inhibition of the
early adherence stages. C. albicans is reported as holding the
greatest capacity to adhere to the oral mucosa cells and acrylic
resin surfaces.30 Therefore, we selected a species of C. albicans
among the strains used for MIC and MFC determination.
Apple cider vinegar was able to reduce fungal adherence to
the acrylic resin at all concentrations tested when compared to
control. Similar results regarding vinegar’s inhibition potential
have been reported by some authors.33,43 Other studies29,30,32
evaluated the effect of vinegar and its inhibitory action in the
adherence of Candida spp. and found negative results; how-
ever, the lack of standardization concerning concentration and
the time of action on the microorganisms hamper comparisons
between results as well as fail to indicate a proper dose to be
further tested in clinical trials.
There were no significant changes in the values of surface
roughness after exposure to apple cider vinegar for the times
tested in the kinetic assay, and the increase in the concentration
of the substance did not result in changes of the mean sur-
face roughness. These results agree with those reported in the
literature,43,44 since the changes did not exceed the threshold
value of 0.2 μm. Above it, one would expect some influence
of the surface roughness on the microorganisms’ capacity to
adhere. The capacity of adherence is directly influenced by
changes in surface roughness, as surface irregularities work as
a niche for microorganisms, protecting them from mechanical
action of the brushing.41,45
Color is an important physical property in the esthetic eval-
uation of acrylic resins used as bases for removable dentures.
The original color of a resin can be changed if diet includes
large amounts of colorants or absorption of liquids, or if den-
tures are immersed in disinfectant solutions, impairing their
esthetics.46-48 In this study, there was no change in acrylic resin
color after a 180-minute exposure period to apple cider vinegar
and nystatin, consistent with other findings.49
This study corroborates the findings of the literature, re-
inforcing the possibility of adopting vinegars as antifungal
agents.5-8,32,33,50 However, clinical studies using a standard pro-
tocol as a reference, in addition to information obtained in in
vitro tests are required so that the test product is evaluated in
the challenges of the oral environment. A further study could
evaluate the possibility of using apple cider vinegar for a period
of up to 30 minutes at MIC and MICx2 concentrations for a
fungistatic action, and for periods longer than 30 minutes at
MICx4 concentration for a fungicidal action.
Conclusion
Apple cider vinegar showed MIC of 2500 μg/ml on all strains
tested. It showed a fungistatic effect at MIC and MICx2 concen-
trations, whereas at MICx4 a fungicidal action was observed
after 30 minutes of exposure. It also hampered the adherence
of C. albicans to the acrylic resin, in addition to not promoting
significant changes on the surface roughness and color of the
acrylic resin after 2 hours of exposure.

Journal of Prosthodontics 00 (2014) 1–7 

C 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists 5
Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species
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