Antibacterial activity of novel nanoparticles against persistent endodontic pathogens

TL;DR

A new type of nanoparticle shows strong antibacterial effects against tough dental infection pathogens while being safe for body cells.

Contribution

Ag-ZnO hybrid nanoparticles synthesized via sol-gel method show potent antimicrobial efficacy and biocompatibility.

Findings

Ag-ZnO nanoparticles showed large inhibition zones and low MIC values against E. faecalis, C. albicans, and A. israelii.

The nanoparticles suppressed biofilm formation by 87.3% at 100 µg/mL.

Fibroblast viability remained above 80% at therapeutic concentrations, indicating good biocompatibility.

Abstract

Persistent endodontic infections remain difficult to eradicate due to the resistance of biofilm-forming pathogens to conventional
medicaments. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate Ag-ZnO hybrid nanoparticles synthesized via a sol-gel method for their antimicrobial
efficacy against E. faecalis, C. albicans and A. israelii. The nanoparticles showed
strong antibacterial activity, including large inhibition zones, low MIC values (12.5-25 µg/mL) and 87.3% biofilm suppression at
100 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity testing confirmed >80% fibroblast viability at therapeutic concentrations. Ag-ZnO NPs demonstrated
potent antimicrobial performance with acceptable biocompatibility, supporting their potential as an advanced intracanal medicament.