PREPARATION OF MOUTHWASH USING LYCOPENE - CHITOSAN NANOCOMPOSITE AND ITS CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES - AN In vitro STUDY

Background: Application of chitosan in dentifrices or mouthwash is limited, several studies have shown that it is extremely effective in destroying bacteria as well as reducing plaque film and gingivitis. Lycopene can function as a potent scavenger of Hypochlorous acid at a wide range of concentration that may span various pathophysiological and supplemental ranges. Therefore combining both using nanotechnology would be beneficial for the exploitation of new generations of antimicrobial agents and for the development of new biomedicine.

Aim: The study aims to prepare lycopene mediated chitosan based mouthwash and to assess its antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects.

Materials and Methods: The study involved the preparation of lycopene mediated chitosan based mouthwash from their extracts. Assessment of cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of mouthwash was done. In order to test its cytotoxicity a primary level animal testing on brine shrimps was conducted using the standard brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) method and agar diffusion method was used to assess its antimicrobial properties.

Results: The study reveals that the mouthwash prepared had better antimicrobial properties while evaluating it by agar diffusion methods and cytotoxicity levels which were calculated in relation to the mortality rates of the BSLA are directly proportional to the concentration of the nanoparticle used. This gives an insight into the safety and drug dosage levels.

Conclusion: The study can be concluded that the lycopene mediated chitosan based mouthwash being studied shows great potential in the field of dentistry. Cytotoxicity levels of the mouthwash exhibits acceptable toxicity at concentrations below 10 μL however at higher concentrations it shows a significant toxicity and also showed better antimicrobial properties as the zone of inhibition (ZOI) increased with the concentration of lycopene mediated chitosan based mouthwash.