Antibacterial Effect Of Piezoelectric Bto Nanowires Against Periodontal Pathogens

This study evaluated the antibacterial properties of piezoelectric nano-barium titanate against oral pathogens under ultrasonic irradiation, aiming to explore a potential treatment strategy for periodontitis. Nano-barium titanate with different morphologies: barium titanate nanowires (BTO NWs) and barium titanate nanoparticles (BTO NPs), were prepared by the hydrothermal method through modulation of the reaction system. The catalytic effects of BTO NWs and BTO NPs were evaluated by rhodamine B degradation assay and ROS production. The antibacterial effects of BTO NWs and BTO NPs against periodontal disease-associated pathogens including Streptococcus mutans, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis were evaluated by flat colony counting method, bacterial live/dead staining, ROS detection assay and bacterial morphological observation. Linear and cuboidal nano-BTO were obtained. BTO NWs reduced the absorbance of rhodamine B solution by more than 45%, which was higher than that of BTO NPs (20%), while producing more ·OH, H2O2 and O2-, representing stronger piezoelectric catalytic effects. BTO NWs had an antibacterial activity of 92.9% against Streptococcus mutans, and higher than 99% against Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, showing superior antibacterial properties than BTO NPs. SEM and fluorescence staining images showed that BTO NWs damaged the bacterial cell membrane, induced oxidative stress, and resulted in a large number of dead bacteria. Our study demonstrates that piezoelectric BTO NWs produce ROS through piezoelectric catalysis, show an efficient antibacterial effect against periodontal disease-related pathogens, and have potential applications in periodontitis treatment.