Research progress on the application of metal nanoenzymes in the prevention and treatment of plaque biofilm-associated oral diseases

Abstract

Oral plaque biofilms are one of the bases for the survival and metabolism of different bacteria. With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria due to antibiotic abuse, the prevention and treatment of plaque biofilm-associated oral diseases are becoming increasingly difficult. Although some research progress has been made in the field of biofilm formation and destruction, there is still a lack of effective clinical therapies for plaque biofilm-associated oral diseases. Metal nanoenzymes possess the physical properties of nanoparticles and exhibit catalytic activity similar to that of natural enzymes. The nanoscale size of metal nanoenzymes provides a greater specific surface area to help reactive oxygen species spread rapidly to active catalytic sites and improve the antioxidant properties of nanoenzymes. Additionally, metal nanoenzymes are easy to produce using different methods, such as electrochemical reduction, solvent thermal synthesis and microwave-assisted synthesis. Moreover, metal nanoenzymes can produce a high concentration of hydroxyl radicals, catalyze plaque biofilm degradation, lyse glucan and inhibit biofilm formation by oxidative stress reactions, as well as kill bacteria by releasing metal ions. Thus, metal nanoenzymes are expected to become a new option for the prevention and treatment of oral plaque biofilm-associated diseases. However, metal nanoenzymes can enter organisms through oral, intravenous and respiratory routes, triggering potential toxic effects such as pulmonary toxicity, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. In a complex biological environment, the occurrence of metal nanoenzymes toxicity may involve multiple mechanisms, and the mechanism of action and safety need to be thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we intend to describe the research progress on metal nanoenzymes through an overview of their properties, antibacterial mechanisms, biotoxicity and applications in the prevention and treatment of oral plaque biofilm-related diseases, which may provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

Keywords

• metal nanoenzymes，
• nanoenzymes，
• artificial enzymes，
• artificial nanomaterials，
• nanoparticles，
• reactive oxygen species，
• oxidative stress，
• plaque biofilm，
• biofilm，
• oral disease，
• biological toxicity，