Mouthwash Containing Plant-Derived Biosurfactant and Chitosan Hydrochloride: Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity, Antibiofilm Activity, and Genotoxicity

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Abstract
Plant-derived biosurfactants are widely used due to their emulsifying and surface-active properties and can be applied in various products. The aim of this present study was to develop a mouthwash using chitosan hydrochloride and saponins extracted from the plants Chenopodium quinoa and Glycine max. After extraction of the biosurfactants using the Soxhlet method, they were characterized with the aid of infrared spectroscopy and subjected to determination of critical micelle concentration, which was found to be 4.0 and 3.5 g/L for C. quinoa and G. max, respectively. The stability of the emulsions was investigated in the presence of different oils and at different values of temperature, pH, and salinity, which showed an emulsification index greater than 40% under all conditions analyzed. After obtaining the mouthwash formulation, tests of foaming capacity, pH, and genotoxicity were performed in cells of onion (Allium cepa) roots. No presence of micronuclei was found in the roots exposed to the formulation, which indicates that there was no aggression to the cells. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed bacteriostatic/bactericidal activity as well as antibiofilm activity of formulations against the microorganisms tested. In conclusion, the biosurfactants present in extracts from C. quinoa and G. max were found to be stable, non-toxic molecules with antimicrobial activity, with potential to replace toxic emulsifying agents commonly used in commercial products.
Funding Information
  • Brazilian fostering agencies Fundação de Apoio à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE) (001)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (001)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) (001)

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