Background and Objective: Denture stomatitis is the most common oral fungal infection in the elderly, primarily caused by Candida albicans. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Pistacia atlantica fruit (bene) compared to nystatin against clinical isolates of Candida albicans obtained from patients with denture stomatitis.

Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from 19 elderly patients with denture stomatitis. Candida isolates were identified and confirmed by culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar, CHROMagar Candida, germ tube test, and growth at 42°C. Ultimately, 10 isolates of Candida albicans were obtained. The hydroalcoholic extract of bene fruit was prepared using the maceration method, and susceptibility testing was performed by the broth microdilution method (CLSI M27-S4) in RPMI 1640 medium in triplicate. To compare the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the studied compound with nystatin, SPSS software version 20 was used. Data normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, followed by a non-parametric test for inter-group comparisons.

Results: The MIC range for the bene extract was 1–2 mg/mL, with MIC₅₀ of 1 mg/mL and MIC₉₀ of 2 mg/mL. The MIC range for nystatin was 0.125 to more than 4 μg/mL, with MIC₅₀ of 0.125 μg/mL and MIC₉₀ of 2 μg/mL. The difference in MIC between the two compounds was statistically significant (Wilcoxon test, p=0.004).

Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extract of Pistacia atlantica fruit exhibits notable antifungal activity against clinical isolates of Candida albicans, although it is significantly less potent than nystatin. This extract could be considered as a supplement or a basis for further investigation in the development of topical herbal antifungal products.