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- Chitosan mouthwash: toxicity and in vivo validationPublication . Costa, E. M.; Silva, S.; Costa, M. R.; Pereira, M.; Campos, D. A.; Odila, J.; Madureira, A. R.; Cardelle-Cobas, A.; Tavaria, F. K.; Rodrigues, A. S.; Pintado, M. M.A previous study showed that a chitosan mouthwash would be a valid alternative to current mouthwashesas it demonstrated, in vitro, significantly higher antibiofilm activity than two commercial mouthwashes.As such, the aim of this work was to verify the safety of the developed product and to validate, in vivo, thebiological activity ascertained in vitro. Chitosan mouthwash safety was evaluated through Ames, MTT andV79 chromosomal aberration assay while antimicrobial activity was evaluated through in vivo assays. Theresults showed that the chitosan mouthwash was safe, presenting lower cytotoxicity than a commercialmouthwash, and that it effectively reduced viable counts of Streptococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. by ca.5.5 log of CFU. Furthermore, in direct comparison with a commercial mouthwash the chitosan mouthwashpossessed significantly higher antimicrobial activity. The conjunction of these results proves that thechitosan mouthwash is a safe, effective, natural alternative to the existent chemical mouthwashes.
- A novel direct contact method for the assessment of the antimicrobial activity of dental cementsPublication . Costa, E. M.; Silva, S.; Madureira, A. R.; Cardelle-Cobas, A.; Tavaria, F. K.; Pintado, M. M.Dental cements are a crucial part of the odontological treatment, however, due to the hazardous nature and reduced biological efficiency of some of the used materials, newer and safer alternatives are needed, particularly so those possessing higher antimicrobial activity than their traditional counterparts. The evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of solid and semi-solid antimicrobials, such as dental cements and gels, is challenging, particularly due to the low sensitivity of the current methods. Thus, the main aim of this study was the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of a novel chitosan containing dental cement while simultaneous assessing/validating a new, more efficient, method for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of solid and gel like materials. The results obtained showed that the proposed method exhibited a higher sensitivity than the standard 96 well microtiter assay and allowed the determination of bactericidal activity. Additionally, it is interesting to note that the chitosan containing cement, which presented higher antimicrobial activity than the traditional zinc oxide/eugenol mix, was capable of inducing a viable count reduction above 5 log of CFU for all of the studied microorganisms.
- A comprehensive study into the impact of a chitosan mouthwash upon oral microorganism's biofilm formation in vitroPublication . Costa, E. M.; Silva, S.; Madureira, A. R.; Cardelle-Cobas, A.; Tavaria, F.K.; Pintado, M. E.Modern dentistry emphasizes the importance of dental plaque control to improve oral health. To that endthe development of oral care formulations has been geared toward the incorporation of antiplaque agentsthat may play a crucial role in oral health maintenance. In later years the research into antiplaque agentshas led to the discovery of compounds with significant capability to affect biofilm formation. Among thesecompounds was chitosan, a polysaccharide which showed great ability to interfere with Streptococcusmutans biofilm formation. As such the aim of this work was to incorporate chitosan into a mouthwashmatrix and assess its effect upon biofilm formation of oral microorganisms. This assessment was per-formed via study of the impact the mouthwash upon microbial adherence, biofilm formation and maturebiofilms. Additionally, the action of the chitosan mouthwash was compared with two commerciallyavailable mouthwashes. The results here obtained show that only the chitosan containing mouthwashwas capable of interfering with all microorganisms’ adherence, biofilm formation and mature biofilmswhile at the same time showing vastly superior activity than both commercial mouthwashes assayed.As such a chitosan mouthwash shows great potential as a natural and efficient alternative to traditionalmouthwashes.