Formulation of Coconut Oil Mouthwash with Mixed Emulsifier and Its Growth Inhibition of Candida albicans Biofilms

Abstract Virgin coconut oil has been used for oil pulling, which helps to promote oral health and can inhibit oral fungi. Due to 15-20 minutes of rinsing time, oily taste, and instability of lately developed mouthwashes, this present study aimed to develop a mouthwash formula from virgin coconut oil with good stability and appropriate rinsing time to inhibit Candida albicans in biofilm. The formulation results showed that the mixed emulsifiers between tween 80 and span 80 at the ratio of 40:60 were appropriate to use as the mixed emulsifier of virgin coconut oil. After the formulation, seven mouthwash formulas including F5 (10:25:65), F21 (20:20:60), F36 (30:20:50), F49 (40:20:40), F59 (50:15:35), F67 (60:10:30) and F73 (70:5:25) which comprised the ratios among virgin coconut oil: mixed emulsifier: distilled water, respectively, exhibited the stable emulsion by using the lowest mixed emulsifier in each ratio. Results from the XTT assay at various exposure times demonstrated that a five-minute exposure with formula F73 exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against C. albicans biofilm with a significant difference compared to other formulas. To confirm the anticandidal activity, the F73 formula could inhibit the growth of C. albicans after enumerating the colonies with an exposure time of five minutes. It may be concluded that the appropriate virgin coconut oil mouthwash was formulated at the ratio of coconut oil: mixed emulsifier: distilled water at 70:5:25 and could inhibit C. albicans after five minutes of exposure. Keywords: Formulation, Coconut oil mouthwash, Mixed emulsifier, Candida albicans, Biofilm