Amino-acids, peptides, and protein hydrolysates, together with their coordinating compounds, have various applications as fertilizers, nutritional supplements, additives, fillers, or active principles to produce hydrogels with therapeutic properties. Hydrogel-based patches can be adapted for drug, protein, or peptide delivery, and tissue healing and regeneration. These materials have the advantage of copying the contour of the wound surface, ensuring oxygenation, hydration, and at the same time protecting the surface from bacterial invasion. The aim of this paper is to describe the production of a new type of hydrogel based on whey protein isolates (WPI), whey protein hydrolysates (WPH), and gelatin. The hydrogels were obtained by utilizing a microwave-assisted method using gelatin, glycerol, WPI or WPH, copper sulfate, and water. WPH was obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of whey protein isolates in the presence of bromelain. The hydrogel films obtained have been characterized by FT-IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The swelling degree and swelling kinetics have also been determined.
By-products from the meat and dairy industries are important sources of high biological value proteins. This paper explores possibilities for improving the swelling and integrity of a cross-linked whey and gelatin hydrogel with different amounts of CuSO4 × 5H2O. Overall, swelling tests demonstrate that cross-linked samples show a better hydration capacity and stability in the hydration medium, but different copper concentrations lead to different swelling behavior. At concentrations smaller than 0.39%, the sample lasts for 75 h in a water environment before beginning to disintegrate. At a concentration of copper sulphate higher than 0.55%, the stability of the sample increased substantially. The swelling kinetics has been investigated. The diffusion constant values increased with the increase in copper concentration, but, at the highest concentration of copper (0.86%), its value has decreased. Spectroscopy analyses such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry analyses revealed changes in the secondary and tertiary structure of proteins as a result of the interaction of Cu2+ ions with functional groups of protein chains. In addition to its cross-linking ability, CuSO4 × 5H2O has also shown excellent antibacterial properties over common bacterial strains responsible for food spoilage. The result of this research demonstrates the potential of this hydrogel system as a unique material for food packaging.
Among esthetic procedures, teeth whitening is a common and often used treatment for patients who seek good teeth appearance. We developed an experimental green tea extract and an experimental green tea gel for enamel restoring treatment after bleaching. We also tested the antibacterial and antifungal effect of the experimental extract against specific endodontic and cariogenic microorganisms. The green tea extract antibacterial action was determined by the disk-diffusion method using Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (ATCC27337), Corynebacterium xerosis (ATCC 373), Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) strains. Enamel microstructure was investigated by SEM analysis, and surface details were revealed by AFM. The inhibition zones around the wells showed evident antimicrobial activity of the experimental extract. In the presence of Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), the extract showed no antifungal activity. The enamel’s surface roughness and hydroxyapatite prism aspects were the parameters followed throughout the study. The experimental green tea extract is efficient against some microorganisms commonly found in the oral cavity. However, the studied extract had no antifungal effect. The results show that after bleaching with the experimental gel, we obtained the best surface parameters, similar to healthy enamel.
A beautiful smile is an important feature when it comes to a pleasant appearance of the face, and one of the most common situations that drive patients to book a dental appointment is tooth discoloration. Tooth bleaching is the treatment of choice for extrinsic tooth discoloration, as it is a cheap, fast, and minimally invasive procedure. This study aimed to provide comparative information on the perceptions of both patients and dentists regarding different whitening methods and on the factors involved in people’s willingness to recommend and use a bleaching procedure. In addition to this, this study evaluated the degree of satisfaction in relation to the bleaching methods and materials used; it also evaluated the following: negative side effects, economic characteristics and the patients’ perceptions of the aesthetic appearance of their dental arches, especially tooth color. The subjects that participated in the present study were selected based on their background and were then divided into two categories. The first group consisted of 120 patients who had received tooth-bleaching treatments in dental clinics during the study and the second group consisted of 127 dentists. A conventional sampling method was used. The study aimed to define a relationship between multiple aspects of the tooth-bleaching procedure, including the patients’ desires and their general knowledge of this procedure. Tooth color and the way it changes is a very important factor that motivates patients to come to the dentist for whitening procedures. Patients showed the highest levels of satisfaction with the results of in-office bleaching procedures. In the group consisting of dentists, satisfaction levels were higher for the procedure of home bleaching supervised by a dentist. Factors influencing the choice of bleaching materials are appreciated differently by dentists and patients. Furthermore, the rate of patients using OTC (over the counter) products was found to be high. Further research is needed to find more effective and safer alternatives to home tooth-bleaching procedures.
Dyschromic lesions (DLs) of tooth enamel are common disorders, with multiple etiologies and various clinical forms, that raise public health concerns. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the perception of DLs and to assess the perceived need for dental treatment in various clinical cases. A paper-based questionnaire with attached images of frontal teeth exhibiting different DLs was distributed to patients, dental students, and dentists. A total of 383 volunteers participated in this study, and their answers were statistically described and analyzed. This study found that in cases with multiple, well-demarcated areas of opacities associated with diffuse opacities on neighboring teeth, most respondents noticed and reported only the most severe lesions, disregarding the minor ones. The contrast of the lesion with the color of the substrate influenced the overall perception and a significant correlation between these two variables was found. However, the color of the DLs did not significantly impact the overall perception of the lesions. A higher overall perception of DLs was significantly correlated with a favorable opinion regarding the need for treatment. Furthermore, gender and medical background were significantly associated with the overall perception of DLs.
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