Introduction: Patient undergoes orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances have more plaque retentive area compare to normal person. Therefore, this patient requires higher standard of oral hygiene care. One of adjunctive cleaning device for oral hygiene care is water irrigator. There are several types of water irrigator available in the market such as syringe type, electricity and battery operated. However, the problem is the available water irrigators are expensive. Materials and Methods: A prototype of water irrigator was designed and constructed in USIM. The water irrigator is faucet powered so that the pressure can be easily controlled by adjusting the tap. Four dental arches with orthodontics brackets were prepared using sets of natural teeth mounted on plaster of paris. Artificial plaque was prepared and grown on the dental arches. Plaque score was recorded based on Rustogi modification of navy plaque index (RMNPI) before and after irrigation with water irrigator. The procedure was repeated using toothbrush which act as control group. All the data were collected and analysed using SPSS version 22. Results: The initial mean plaque score for water irrigator was 6.34 and 2.54 after cleaning. While the initial mean plaque score for toothbrush was 6.04 and 3.71 after cleaning. This showed that there were significantly reduction of 60% and 39% plaque score after using water irrigator and tooth brushing respectively. Conclusion(s): In conclusion, both tooth brushing and the new water irrigator can significantly remove dental plaque accumulation on the tooth surface. However, water irrigator showed better results in removal of dental plaque accumulation.

The treatment of urological cancers has been significantly improved in recent years. However, for the advanced stages of these cancers and/or for those developing resistance, novel therapeutic options need to be developed. Among the innovative strategies, the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) seems to be of great therapeutic interest. siRNAs are double-stranded RNA molecules which can specifically target virtually any mRNA of pathological genes. For this reason, siRNAs have a great therapeutic potential for human diseases including urological cancers. However, the fragile nature of siRNAs in the biological environment imposes the development of appropriate delivery systems to protect them. Thus, ensuring siRNA reaches its deep tissue target while maintaining structural and functional integrity represents one of the major challenges. To reach this goal, siRNA-based therapies require the development of fine, tailor-made delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, nanobubbles and magnetic nanoparticles are among nano-delivery systems studied recently to meet this demand. In this review, after an introduction about the main features of urological tumors, we describe siRNA characteristics together with representative delivery systems developed for urology applications; the examples reported are subdivided on the basis of the different delivery materials and on the different urological cancers.

This study evaluated various environmental factors affecting the swelling degree of bacterial cellulose-acrylic acid hydrogels. Aqueous bacterial cellulose-acrylic acid (4:1) mixtures were prepared and subjected to electron beam irradiation at 30 and 50 kGy. Swelling rate under influenced of pH, temperature and ionic strength was investigated from 1 to 24 hours. Swelling degree of hydrogels was dependent on irradiation dose: those synthesized at 50 kGy exhibited significant higher swelling degree (p<0.0001) in methanol (619%) compared to water (510%) at room temperature after 24 hours. External ionic strength affected swelling, i.e, elevation in sodium chloride concentration decreased swelling degree. Hydrogels were also sensitive to pH: swelling increased with increasing pH and was optimal at pH 7. Swelling also increased with increasing temperature from 25¡C to 50¡C. In conclusion, the ability of electron irradiated bacterial cellulose-acrylic acid hydrogels to respond to various external environment make it a material to be developed as an active delivery system for drugs, proteins and hormones.

Objective Siwak is a chewing stick used to clean the teeth and oral structures. Many studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of siwak in dentistry and concluded that it can be an alternative to a toothbrush in reducing plaque and gingivitis. However, some observations have reported more periodontal attachment loss and gingival recession among siwak users. This study aimed to compare the periodontal health and oral microbial characteristics between siwak and toothbrush users. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study, and participants were recruited from the public who attended community engagement programs. They were assigned to two groups based on whether they used siwak or a toothbrush. Participants who consented were examined for periodontal health. Supragingival and subgingival plaque samples were collected for bacterial identification and quantification. Statistical Analysis The SPSS package version 21.0 was used for data entry. Data normality was statistically tested using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests, while data comparison used either t-test or Mann–Whitney U test. Results A total of 36 participants were included in this study. The findings revealed that the plaque scores, bleeding scores, and periodontal pocket depths between siwak and toothbrush users were comparable (p > 0.05). Both groups had no evidence of gingival recession. Most participants had bacteria with characteristics of Streptococcus spp., which were present in 12 toothbrush users and 6 siwak users. Conclusions The periodontal health status of siwak users was comparable to that of toothbrush users. Despite this, siwak users had fewer types of bacteria than toothbrush users, suggesting that siwak may serve as an alternative device to conventional toothbrushes for oral hygiene when properly used.

Nata de coco, a dessert originally from the Philippines is produced by fermentation of coconut water with a culture of Acetobacter xylinum, a gram negative bacterium. Acetobacter xylinum metabolizes glucose in coconut juice and converts it into bacterial cellulose that has unique properties including high purity, crystallinity and mechanical strength. Because the main component of nata de coco is bacterial cellulose, nata de coco was purified, extracted and characterized to determine whether pure cellulose could be isolated from it. The FTIR spectra of bacterial cellulose from nata de coco showed distinguish peaks of 3440 cm-1, 2926 cm-1, 1300 cm-1, 1440 cm-1, 1163 cm-1 and 1040 cm-1, which correspond to O-H stretching, C-H stretching, C-H bending, CH2 bending, C-O-C stretching and C-O stretching, respectively, and represent the fingerprints of pure cellulose component. Moreover, the FTIR curve showed a pattern similar to other bacterial cellulose spectra reported by report. Thermal analysis showed a DTG peak at 342°C, which falls in the range of cellulose degradation peaks (330°C - 370°C). On the other hand, the TGA curve showed 1 step of degradation, and this finding confirmed the purity of nata de coco. Bacterial cellulose powder produced from nata de coco was found to be soluble only in cupriethylenediamine, a well known solvent for cellulose; thus, it was confirmed that nata de coco is a good source of bacterial cellulose. The purity of bacterial cellulose produced from nata de coco renders it suitable for research that uses pure cellulose.

Excellent wound dressings should have crucial components, including high porosity, non-toxicity, high water absorption, and the ability to retain a humid environment in the wound area and facilitate wound healing. Unfortunately, current wound dressings hamper the healing process, with poor antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity, frequent dressing changes, low biodegradability, and poor mechanical properties. Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer chains with three-dimensional (3D) networks that have been applicable as wound dressings. They could retain a humid environment on the wound site, provide a protective barrier against pathogenic infections, and provide pain relief. Hydrogel can be obtained from natural, synthetic, or hybrid polymers. Honey is a natural substance that has demonstrated several therapeutic efficacies, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity, which makes it beneficial for wound treatment. Honey-based hydrogel wound dressings demonstrated excellent characteristics, including good biodegradability and biocompatibility, stimulated cell proliferation and reepithelization, inhibited bacterial growth, and accelerated wound healing. This review aimed to demonstrate the potential of honey-based hydrogel in wound healing applications and complement the studies accessible regarding implementing honey-based hydrogel dressing for wound healing.

Excellent wound dressings should have crucial components, including high porosity, non-toxicity, high water absorption, and the ability to retain a humid environment in the wound area and facilitate wound healing. Unfortunately, current wound dressings hamper the healing process, with poor antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity, frequent dressing changes, low biodegradability, and poor mechanical properties. Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer chains with three-dimensional (3D) networks that have been applicable as wound dressings. They could retain a humid environment on the wound site, provide a protective barrier against pathogenic infections, and provide pain relief. Hydrogel can be obtained from natural, synthetic, or hybrid polymers. Honey is a natural substance that has demonstrated several therapeutic efficacies, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity, which makes it beneficial for wound treatment. Honey-based hydrogel wound dressings demonstrated excellent characteristics, including good biodegradability and biocompatibility, stimulated cell proliferation and reepithelization, inhibited bacterial growth, and accelerated wound healing. This review aimed to demonstrate the potential of honey-based hydrogel in wound healing applications and complement the studies accessible regarding implementing honey-based hydrogel dressing for wound healing.

To assist in identifying the utility of novel materials in drug-delivery applications, this study investigated the use of bacterial cellulose (BC), a natural biopolymer, in the synthesis of hydrogels for drug-delivery systems. BC was combined with different proportions of acrylic acid (AA) to fabricate hydrogels by exposure to accelerated electron-beam irradiation at different doses. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed that the AA had been successfully grafted onto the cellulose fibers and allowed for prediction of the reaction mechanism in the synthesis of hydrogels. Thermal and morphological characterization indicated the formation of thermally stable hydrogels with pore size determined by AA content and irradiation dose. The results of swelling and in vitro drug-release studies revealed the hydrogels to be both thermo- and pH-responsive. Such thermo- and pH-responsiveness, in addition to their morphological characteristics, suggests that these BC/AA hydrogels are promising candidates as controlled drug-delivery systems.

Background. Acmella paniculata has been used as a traditional medicine to treat oral health diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. Streptococcus mutans is a common bacterium that initiates dental caries at an early stage. Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the mode of action of A. paniculata (extracts) against S. mutans growth. Methods. Time-kill assay has been done to investigate the rate of kill and effectiveness of Acmella paniculata (AP) extracts against S. mutans growth. Phytochemical analysis was done to identify major compounds in AP extracts using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) have been done to observe the morphological changes of treated bacteria. Transcriptomic profile analysis has been done using Next Gene Sequencing. Results. AP flower n-hexane (APFH) and AP flower dichloromethane (APFD) extracts acted as bactericidal agents after killing >3 log10 cfu/mL of S. mutans after 24 hours. Oleic and hexadecenoic acids were found to be the major compounds in APFD and APFH extracts, respectively. Photomicrographs from SEM and TEM of treated S. mutans show that the bacterial cell wall has been lysed and the cytoplasm content was decreased. Pathway analysis revealed that the APFD extract significantly affected biosynthesis peptidoglycan, gene expression, RNA processing, and macromolecule metabolism processes in S. mutans. Conclusion. Data analysis revealed that multiple mechanisms of action were involved in antibacterial activity of A. paniculata extracts toward S. mutans.

The formation and swelling behavior of bacterial cellulose/acrylic acid hydrogel prepared from aqueous mixture consists of 20 : 80 (v/v) acrylic acid (AAc) and 1% bacterial cellulose dispersion under accelerated electron beam was investigated. Gel fraction of hydrogel increased with the increasing dose suggesting a denser composite at 50 kGy compared to 35 kGy. SEM photomicrographs revealed a homogenous pores distribution at higher dose with pore sizes ranging from 1 to 5 μm. Hydrogel synthesized at lower dose of electron beam exhibited higher swelling ability and the degree of swelling increased as the pH of surrounding medium increased and it reached the optimum swelling at pH 7. While swelling of the hydrogel decreased with the increasing ionic strength of solution, swelling at different temperatures ranging from 25 to 50°C revealed a unique character where the hydrogel shrunk at 37°C. Moreover, hydrogel synthesized at higher dose exhibited a higher degree of swelling in methanol with respect to water. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010