Rotman, S., Department of Ophthalmology, Assaf Harofe Medical Center, Zrifin, Israel
Sandovsky-Losica, H., Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Sionov, E., Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Segal, E., Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69697, Israel

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of a chitin soluble extract (CSE) to clinically used commercial contact lenses' cleaning/preservation solutions on adherence of Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans to contact lenses. CSE (25 mg ml-1) was added to Solocare® or Oxysept®. Adherence of A. niger or C. albicans to contact lenses was assessed by exposing lenses to fungi in test solutions and enumeration of fungal colony forming unit. The study included three parts: (i) the disinfecting and adherence-inhibiting effect of Solocare and Oxysept; (ii) the adherence-inhibiting effect of CSE: (iii) the effect of Solocare + CSE or Oxysept + CSE on the fungal adherence to contact lenses. The experiments showed that: (i) Solocare had a significant disinfecting effect on A. niger and C. albicans while that of Oxysept was only minimal. (ii) Neither Solocare nor Oxysept had an inhibitory effect on the fungal adherence. (iii) CSE inhibited significantly the adherence of A. niger and C. albicans. (iv) Addition of CSE to Solocare or Oxysept resulted in almost complete inhibition of adherence. Supplementing CSE to lenses' maintenance solutions increases their antifungal potential by adding anti-adherence activity to the disinfecting effect of these solutions, bearing the potential to serve as a prophylactic means.