Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Titanium dental implants, while highly successful, face challenges due to polymicrobial infections leading to peri-implantitis and implant failure. Biofilm formation on implant surfaces is the primary cause of these infections, with factors such as matrix pr...

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Main Authors: Nazia Tabassum, Fazlurrahman Khan, Geum-Jae Jeong, Do Kyung Oh, Young-Mog Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Antibiotics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/2/115
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author Nazia Tabassum
Fazlurrahman Khan
Geum-Jae Jeong
Do Kyung Oh
Young-Mog Kim
author_facet Nazia Tabassum
Fazlurrahman Khan
Geum-Jae Jeong
Do Kyung Oh
Young-Mog Kim
author_sort Nazia Tabassum
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Titanium dental implants, while highly successful, face challenges due to polymicrobial infections leading to peri-implantitis and implant failure. Biofilm formation on implant surfaces is the primary cause of these infections, with factors such as matrix production and cross-kingdom interactions contributing to the microbial accumulation of bacterial and fungal pathogens species. To combat this issue, naturally derived molecules have been reported to overcome the hurdle of antimicrobial resistance against the application of conventional antibiotics and antifungals. <b>Methods:</b> The present study aimed to employ the lichen-derived molecules, usnic acid (UA), to retard the development of biofilms of bacterial and fungal pathogens on the surface of titanium kept in the human artificial saliva (HAS) working as a growth-supporting, host-mimicking media. <b>Results:</b> The minimum inhibitory concentration of UA in HAS towards <i>Candida albicans</i> was >512 µg/mL, whereas against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>, it was determined to be 512 µg/mL. Whereas, in the standard growth media, the MIC value of UA towards <i>S. mutans</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> were 8 and 16 µg/mL; however, against <i>C. albicans</i>, it was 512 µg/mL. UA synergistically enhanced the efficacy of the antibiotics toward bacterial pathogens and the efficacy of antifungals against <i>C. albicans</i>. The antibiofilm results depict the fact that in the HAS, UA significantly reduced both mono-species of <i>S. mutans</i>, <i>S. aureus</i>, and <i>C. albicans</i> and mixed-species biofilm of <i>C. albicans</i> with <i>S. mutans</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> on the surface of the titanium. <b>Conclusions:</b> The present study showed that UA is a promising natural drug that can control oral polymicrobial disease as a result of the application of dental implants.
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spelling doaj-art-eaf69554c35c4144ae49491814932a582025-08-20T03:11:19ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-01-0114211510.3390/antibiotics14020115Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva MediaNazia Tabassum0Fazlurrahman Khan1Geum-Jae Jeong2Do Kyung Oh3Young-Mog Kim4Marine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of KoreaMarine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Titanium dental implants, while highly successful, face challenges due to polymicrobial infections leading to peri-implantitis and implant failure. Biofilm formation on implant surfaces is the primary cause of these infections, with factors such as matrix production and cross-kingdom interactions contributing to the microbial accumulation of bacterial and fungal pathogens species. To combat this issue, naturally derived molecules have been reported to overcome the hurdle of antimicrobial resistance against the application of conventional antibiotics and antifungals. <b>Methods:</b> The present study aimed to employ the lichen-derived molecules, usnic acid (UA), to retard the development of biofilms of bacterial and fungal pathogens on the surface of titanium kept in the human artificial saliva (HAS) working as a growth-supporting, host-mimicking media. <b>Results:</b> The minimum inhibitory concentration of UA in HAS towards <i>Candida albicans</i> was >512 µg/mL, whereas against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>, it was determined to be 512 µg/mL. Whereas, in the standard growth media, the MIC value of UA towards <i>S. mutans</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> were 8 and 16 µg/mL; however, against <i>C. albicans</i>, it was 512 µg/mL. UA synergistically enhanced the efficacy of the antibiotics toward bacterial pathogens and the efficacy of antifungals against <i>C. albicans</i>. The antibiofilm results depict the fact that in the HAS, UA significantly reduced both mono-species of <i>S. mutans</i>, <i>S. aureus</i>, and <i>C. albicans</i> and mixed-species biofilm of <i>C. albicans</i> with <i>S. mutans</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> on the surface of the titanium. <b>Conclusions:</b> The present study showed that UA is a promising natural drug that can control oral polymicrobial disease as a result of the application of dental implants.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/2/115titanium dental implantspolymicrobial diseasesusnic acidantibiofilmhuman artificial salivatreatment strategy
spellingShingle Nazia Tabassum
Fazlurrahman Khan
Geum-Jae Jeong
Do Kyung Oh
Young-Mog Kim
Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
Antibiotics
titanium dental implants
polymicrobial diseases
usnic acid
antibiofilm
human artificial saliva
treatment strategy
title Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
title_full Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
title_fullStr Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
title_full_unstemmed Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
title_short Controlling Oral Polymicrobial Biofilm Using Usnic Acid on the Surface of Titanium in the Artificial Saliva Media
title_sort controlling oral polymicrobial biofilm using usnic acid on the surface of titanium in the artificial saliva media
topic titanium dental implants
polymicrobial diseases
usnic acid
antibiofilm
human artificial saliva
treatment strategy
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/2/115
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