Green synthesised nanoparticles as an antibiofilm agent

Abstract

The biofilm is an extracellular matrix made of biological polymers such exopolysaccharide (EPS), protein, and DNA that surrounds microbial organisms. Similarly, dental biofilm can be described as the association of oral biofilm forming microbes on the external surface of the teeth. This dental biofilm development can lead to several oral health issues, like plaque and caries formation. Recent reports show that nanoparticles have great antibiofilm property making it suitable for treatment. Silver, gold, copper etc. are some of the metal nanoparticle and chitosan is one of the natural polymer that is used to synthesise the nanoparticle for treatment of oral biofilm. Chitosan is a biodegradable component extracted from the chitin shells of shrimps and other crustaceans. It inhibits biofilm by disrupting the permeability of the cell wall, by initiating the production of ROS or by binding to the DNA of the bacteria. Researchers have been interested in the antibiofilm activity of plant extracts as well as those of other physiologically active compounds derived from leaves, stems, and roots. The bioactive compounds present in the plants such as phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids etc. provides it the antibiofilm property. This review specially focuses on the antibiofilm property of the chitosan nanoparticle incorporated with different plant extracts.