Targeting Oral Biofilms and Inducing Apoptosis in Oral Cancer Cells: Mechanistic Insights of Hamamelitannin-Coated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles through BCl-2/BAX/P53 Pathway

Objectives

Dental pathogens are major contributions to problems with oral health such infections, gum disease, and tooth decay. There is also growing evidence connecting these infections to the development and course of oral cancer. Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to address issues with antibiotic resistance and treatment constraints.

Materials and Methods

Using a variety of analytic methods, such as Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), the zinc oxide nanoparticles coated with hamamelitannin was synthesized. The effectiveness of ZnO-Hamamelitannin (HAMA) NPs against dental pathogens was determined by evaluating their antioxidant and antibacterial activities using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) (ABTS), and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests. A MIC of 50 μg/mL was found. Studies of interactions were carried out to find out how well HAMA target the dental pathogens receptors.

Results

Strong efficacy against dental infections was demonstrated by ZnO-HAMA NPs, which also showed notable antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities. ZnO-HAMA NPs and target pathogens have a high binding affinity, according to interaction study. Moreover, ZnO-HAMA NPs upregulated the expression of apoptotic genes like BCl2, BAX, and P53 in human epithelial Carcinoma cells (KB) oral squamous carcinoma cells because of their dose-dependent anticancer effects.

Conclusion

ZnO-HAMA NPs offer a promising multimodal strategy to treat oral infections as well as oral cancer. However, before ZnO-HAMA NPs can be clinically implemented, more through research and testing will need to be conducted to address issues like NPs toxicity, biocompatibility, and long-term safety. This development could lead to substantial advancements in oral healthcare and new therapeutic approaches in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance.