Harnessing Chitosan-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles in Cymbopogon citratus Nanocomposites: A Promising Antibacterial Solution Against Streptococcus mutans

Abstract

Nanotechnology explores materials at the nanometer scale and has broad applications, including dentistry. One of the emerging innovations is nanocomposites. Nanocomposites consist of two or more materials, including filler materials and stabilizing agents, and possess antimicrobial activity. Meanwhile, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using lemongrass leaf extract (Cymbopogon citratus) through a green method have potential as antibacterial agents, particularly against oral cavity bacteria. However, AgNPs tend to aggregate, necessitating the use of stabilizing agents such as chitosan. This study evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of AgCh nanocomposites with C. citratus against S. mutans. The study employed the disc diffusion method to test the antibacterial effectiveness of nanocomposites at concentrations of 6.25 mg/mL, 12.5 mg/mL, 15 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL, and 50 mg/mL, along with 0.2% chlorhexidine as the positive control and acetic acid and distilled water as negative controls. Observations at 24, 48, and 72 hours revealed that no inhibition zones formed at 24 hours. However, inhibition zones began to form at 48 and 72 hours, with higher nanocomposite concentrations resulting in larger inhibition zones. The 50 mg/mL concentration produced the largest inhibition zone. This study demonstrates that AgChCc nanocomposites demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, with the optimal concentration for highest effectiveness against S. mutans being 50 mg/mL.