Combating oral biofilms in Nigerian schoolchildren: a synergistic approach using Macrosphyralongistyla extracts and titanium-ferrite nanoparticles
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Date
2025
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GMSHygiene and Infection Control
Abstract
Introduction: The burden of infectious and non-infectious debilitating
diseases of oral etiology is common in developing countries. The path
ogenicity of oral infectious diseases is believed to be exacerbated by
the uncontrolled progression of biofilm-producing bacteria. In contem
porary research endeavours, there is a proposition to utilize anti-infective
compounds in the control of biofilm-induced infections. This research
was carried out to isolate and control biofilm-producing bacteria using
anti-infective nanoparticles and a plant extract.
Methods: Biofilm-producing bacteria were isolated and characterized
using microbiological techniques and next-generation sequencing. An
timicrobial susceptibility testing and minimum inhibitory concentration
were determined using titanium ferrite (TF) coupled with Macrosphyra
longistyla plant extracts. Bioactive antimicrobials were analyzed by
Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The surface morphology
was determined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and tox
icological properties were characterized on adult Wistar rats.
Results: Biofilm-producing bacteria isolated and sequenced in this study
are Pseudomonasaeruginosa,Aeromonascaviae,Proteusmirabilisand
Serratia marcescens.
The plant extracts coupled with nanoparticles were found to be more
bioactive against the biofilm producers than either the plant extracts
or the nanoparticles alone. The MICs observed here showed these
complexestobemorebioactiveagainstthepathogensinlowerconcen
trations compared to that observed in similar studies.
FTIR revealed that the bands at around 3,000–2,800 cm–1 correspond
to C–H stretching vibrations. The bands at around 1,700–1,600 cm–1
corresponded to C=O stretching vibrations. The bands at around
1,500–1,400 cm–1 corresponded to N–H bending vibrations. The pres
ence of these functional groups suggests that Macrosphyra longistyla
doped with TF nanoparticles (MSLNP) is a complex compound that
contains a variety of different chemical groups.
Histology revealed no significant derangements observed in the histoar
chitecture of experimental groups. This suggests that the compound
shows potential as antimicrobial therapy in battling bacterial oral bio
films. It is recommended that the compound undergo further testing in
the drug design process.