Anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles against the oral opportunistic pathogens Rothia dentocariosa and Rothia mucilaginosa

• Published in: European journal of oral sciences Vol. 122; no. 6; pp. 397 - 403
• Main Authors: Khan, Shams T., Ahamed, Maqusood, Musarrat, Javed, Al-Khedhairy, Abdulaziz A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Actinomycetaceae - classification; Actinomycetaceae - drug effects; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; anti-biofilm activity; antimicrobial activity; Bacterial Load - drug effects; Bacteriological Techniques; Biofilms - drug effects; Coloring Agents; Dental Prosthesis - microbiology; Dentistry; Fluorescent Dyes; Gentian Violet; Humans; Indoles; Male; Materials Testing; Metal Nanoparticles - therapeutic use; Mouth - microbiology; Phylogeny; Polystyrenes; Propidium; RNA, Bacterial - analysis; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - analysis; Rothia dentocariosa; Rothia sp; Tooth, Artificial - microbiology; Zinc Oxide - pharmacology; zinc oxide nanoparticles; Rothia sp; antimicrobial activity; zinc oxide nanoparticles; anti-biofilm activity
• ISSN: 0909-8836; 1600-0722
• DOI: 10.1111/eos.12152

Species of the genus Rothia that inhabit the oral cavity have recently been implicated in a number of diseases. To minimize their role in oral infections, it is imperative to reduce and/or control the growth and biofilm formation activity of Rothia spp. In this study, two bacterial isolates, Ora‐7 and Ora‐16, were obtained from the oral cavity of a healthy male subject and identified as Rothia dentocariosa and Rothia mucilaginosa, respectively, using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Antimicrobial and anti‐biofilm formation activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs), of average size 35 nm, were assessed in in vitro assays using Crystal Violet and live and dead staining techniques. The ZnO‐NPs exhibited an IC50 value of 53 and 76 μg ml−1 against R. dentocariosa and R. mucilaginosa, respectively. Biofilm‐formation assays, performed on the surfaces of polystyrene plates, artificial teeth, and dental prostheses, revealed the efficacy of ZnO‐NPs as a potential antibacterial agent for controlling the growth of Rothia isolates in both planktonic form and biofilm.