Awareness about Medicinal application of Copper Nanoparticles among Dental Students
Dhanraj Ganapathy1*, Martina Catherine2
1 Professor & Head of Department, Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India.
2 Tutor, Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India.
*Corresponding Author
Dhanraj Ganapathy,
Professor & Head of Department, Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India.
Tel: 9841504523
E-mail: dhanrajmganapathy@yahoo.co.in
Received: September 12, 2021; Accepted: September 20, 2021; Published: September 21, 2021
Citation:Dhanraj Ganapathy, Martina Catherine. Awareness about Medicinal application of Copper Nanoparticles among Dental Students. Int J Dentistry Oral Sci. 2021;8(9):4350-4354. doi: dx.doi.org/10.19070/2377-8075-21000885
Copyright: Dhanraj Ganapathy©©2021. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Introduction: Nanobiotechnology is a new discipline of science that deals with nanoscale materials in fields including biotechnology,
nanotechnology, physics, chemistry, and material science. For the creation of metallic nanoparticles, three primary
approaches are used: chemical, physical, and biological. Copper and its compounds have also been employed as effective antibacterial,
antifungal, antiviral, and molluscicidal agents, in addition to these uses. Copper nanoparticles have recently gained
popularity due to their catalytic, optical, electrical, and antimicrobial properties.
Aim: This survey was conducted for assessing the awareness about medicinal application of copper nanoparticles amongst
dental students.
Materials and Method: A cross-section research was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire containing ten questions
distributed amongst 100 dental students. The questionnaire assessed the awareness about copper nanoparticles therapy
in medical applications, their antibacterial properties, anti-fungal properties, anti-viral properties, anti-cancer activities, mechanism
of action and toxicity effects, the responses were recorded and analysed.
Results: 11% of the respondents were aware of the medicinal applications of Copper Nanoparticles. 9 % were aware of antibacterial
properties of Copper Nanoparticles, 9 % were aware of anti-fungal properties of Copper Nanoparticles, 7 % were
aware of anti-viral properties of Copper Nanoparticles, 5% were aware of, anti-cancer activities of Copper Nanoparticles
and, 5% were aware of mechanism of action and toxicity effects, of Copper Nanoparticles.
Conclusion: There is limited awareness amongst dental students about use of Copper nanoparticles therapy in medical applications.
Enhanced awareness initiatives and dental educational programmes together with increased importance for curriculum
improvements that further promote knowledge and awareness of Copper nanoparticles therapy.
2.Introduction
3.Materials and Methods
3.Results
4.Discussion
5.Conclusion
5.References
Keywords
Awareness; Copper; Nanoparticles; Students; Medicinal.
Introduction
Nanobiotechnology is a new discipline of science that deals
with nanoscale materials in fields including biotechnology, nanotechnology,
physics, chemistry, and material science. For the
creation of metallic nanoparticles, three primary approaches are
used: chemical, physical, and biological [1]. For ages, copper has
been used as a biocide. In the 1880s, copper sulphate, lime, and
water (Bordeaux mixture) and copper sulphate and sodium carbonate
(Burgundy mixture) were employed as potential fungicides
for spraying grapes to combat mildew in the United States and
France, respectively [1, 2].
Copper and its compounds have also been employed as effective
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and molluscicidal agents, in addition
to these uses. Copper compounds, however, may be hazardous
to fish and other species. It may potentially pose a threat
to the ecosystem. As a result, greater doses of direct copper and
copper compounds should be avoided. Copper nanoparticles, on
the other hand, can be used as a replacement to prevent these
problems. Copper nanoparticles have recently gained popularity
due to their catalytic, optical, electrical, and antimicrobial properties
[3].
Metal nanoparticles such as copper, silver, palladium, platinum,
titanium, and others are technologically significant due to their optical, electrical, and catalytic capabilities, as well as their applicability
in a variety of fields. Due to their powerful antibacterial
effects against a wide spectrum of pathogens, including multidrug-
resistant species, silver and copper nanoparticles have gained
prominence as innovative antimicrobial agents. Because silver is a
costly metal, the cost of producing silver nanoparticles is also significant.
Copper, on the other hand, is less expensive than silver
and is readily available, making the synthesis of copper nanoparticles
cost-effective. Copper nanoparticles have the extra benefit
of oxidising to generate copper oxide nanoparticles, which are
easy to mix with polymers or macromolecules and have reasonably
stable chemical and physical properties [4, 5]. Our research
experience has prompted us in pursuing this research [6-17]. This
survey was conducted for assessing the awareness about medicinal
application of Copper nanoparticles amongst dental students.
Materials and Methods
A cross-section research was conducted with a self-administered
questionnaire containing ten questions distributed amongst 100
dental students. The questionnaire assessed the awareness about
copper nanoparticles therapy in medical applications, their antibacterial
properties, anti-fungal properties, anti-viral properties,
anti-cancer activities, mechanism of action and toxicity effects,
the responses were recorded and analysed.
Results
11% of the respondents were aware of the medicinal applications
of Copper Nanoparticles (Fig 1). 9 % were aware of antibacterial
properties of Copper Nanoparticles (Fig 2), 9 % were
aware of anti-fungal properties of Copper Nanoparticles (Fig 3),
7 % were aware of anti-viral properties of Copper Nanoparticles
(Fig 4), 5% were aware of anti-cancer activities of Copper Nanoparticles
(Fig 5) and, 5% were aware of mechanism of action and
toxicity effects, of Copper Nanoparticles (Fig 6).
Discussion
Copper nanoparticles have been proven to be efficient against
both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, in addition to controlling yeast and mould growth [18]. Using the Kirby–Bauer
diffusion method, Das et al. (2010) investigated the antibacterial
activity of copper nanoparticles against three bacteria: Staphylococcus
aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli. Copper
nanoparticles were discovered to be excellent growth inhibitors
against these bacteria [19]. Copper nanoparticles were found to
have promising antibacterial action against Micrococcus luteus,
S. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in a study by Ramyadevi et al. (2012). E. coli, S. aureus,
M. luteus, and K. pneumoniae were the most vulnerable bacteria,
while P. aeruginosa was found to be resistant to copper nanoparticles[
20].
E. coli and B. subtilis susceptibility to silver and copper nanoparticles
was investigated by Yoon et al. (2007). They discovered that
when the concentration of nanoparticles increased, the survival
rate of bacteria reduced. Silver and copper nanoparticles totally
inhibited E. coli and B. subtilis at concentrations more than 70
and 60 g/mL, respectively. Copper nanoparticles were shown to
be more effective than silver nanoparticles in this investigation.
Copper oxides, meantime, are gaining popularity as antibacterial
agents due to their ability to be synthesised with extraordinarily
high surface areas and unique crystal morphologies [21]. However,
gram-negative organisms were more susceptible to copper
nanoparticles in time-kill studies [22].
Copper nanoparticles have also been studied for use in biotechnological
applications that could help fight fungal illnesses. Researchers
have tried to combine copper nanoparticles with a polymer
material to create a composite that may release metal species
in a controlled manner, inhibiting the growth of fungus and other
pathogenic microbes [23].
Among the different species of fungi, Saccharomyces cerevisiae
is said to be a model organism for studying the antifungal activity
of nanomaterials [24]. Cu-based zeolites were shown to have fungicidal
activity against Cladosporium cladosporoides, Phaeococcomyces
chersonesos, and Ulocladium chartarum isolated from
marble by Petranovskii et al. Kim et al. used a disc diffusion assay
to evaluate antibacterial activity of the Cu–SiO2 nanocomposite
against Candida albicans and Penicillium citrinum, and they reported
promising action against both fungi [25]. In another study,
the antifungal activity of hyper-branched polyamine copper nanoparticles,
Cu–SiO2 nanocomposites, SiO2–Cu, and copper-doped
hydroxyapatite nanopowders against C. albicans, a pathogenic
fungus that causes infections in the mouth, oesophagus, gastrointestinal
tract, urinary bladder, and genital tract, was investigated.
The results of their research showed that colloidal hyperbranched
polyamine/copper nanoparticles suppressed C. albicans development
even at a low concentration of 1.4 g/100 L [26].
A few papers on copper nanoparticle antiviral activity are published,
confirming that copper nanoparticles have promising antiviral
activity. Using a plaque titration experiment, Fujimori et
al. examined the antiviral efficacy of nanosized copper iodide
particles with an average size of 160 nm against an influenza A
virus of swine origin (pandemic [H1N1] 2009). They demonstrated
dose-dependent activity on virus titer, with the 50 percent
effective concentration for 60 minutes of exposure duration being
around 17 g/ml. SDS-PAGE examination later showed the
virus's inactivation as a result of viral proteins like hemagglutinin
and neuraminidase being degraded by nanosized copper iodide
particles. As a result, Fujimori et al. asserted that these nanoparticles
could be effective in the construction of filters, face masks,
protective apparel, and kitchen towels to defend against viral attacks
[27].
Ramyadevi et al. described the chemical synthesis of metallic copper
nanoparticles using a polyol technique that used copper acetate
as a precursor and Tween 80 as both the medium and the
stabilising reagent. They also tested the anti-parasitic properties
of copper nanoparticles against hematophagous malaria vector
Anopheles subpictus Grassi, filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus,
and cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus, Canestrini larvae.
Their research found that metallic nanoparticles were harmful to
aquatic creatures, owing to particulate impacts rather than the release
of dissolved ions [20].
Nanoparticles have a unique capability for drug loading, effective
photoluminescence, and targeted administration of imaging
agents and anti-cancer therapies, among many other applications.
Jose et al. investigated the ability of copper nanoparticles to degrade DNA and their anti-cancer properties. They discovered
that copper nanoparticles degrade isolated DNA molecules in a
dose-dependent manner by generating singlet oxygen. Copper nanoparticle
DNA degradation was prevented using singlet oxygen
scavengers such as sodium azide and tris (hydroxyl methyl) aminomethane,
showing the participation of activated oxygen species
in the degradation process. They also discovered that copper
nanoparticles might cause apoptosis in U937 and HeLa cells from
human histiocytic lymphoma and human cervical carcinoma, respectively,
through generating cytotoxicity [28].
Chang et al., proposed three pathways based on oxidative stress,
coordination effects, and nonhomeostasis effects to explain why
copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles cause toxicity in eukaryotic
cells. Nanoparticles can enter the cell directly through the pores
in the cell membrane, or they can enter through ion channels and
transporter proteins on the plasma membrane, according to the
researchers. Endocytosis allows certain nanoparticles to enter
cells. Nanoparticles that penetrate the cell can interact directly
with oxidative organelles like mitochondria. Later, redox active
proteins increase the development of reactive oxygen species
(ROS) in cells, and nanoparticle-produced ions (Cu2+) can cause
ROS through a variety of chemical processes. ROS has the ability
to cause DNA strand breaks and alter gene expression. Cu2+
ions can also form chelates with biomolecules or dislodge metal
ions from certain metalloproteins, resulting in functional protein
inactivation. Cu2+ produced by copper oxide nanoparticles raises
local concentrations and impairs cellular metal cation homeostasis,
leading to cell toxicity [29].
The effect of copper nanoparticles on the rat's dorsal root ganglion
(DRG) was investigated by Prabhu et al. For 24 hours, these
neurons were exposed to copper nanoparticles of varying concentrations
(10–100 M) and diameters (40, 60, and 80 nm). When
compared to unexposed control cultures, light microscopy, histochemical
staining for copper, lactate dehydrogenase assay for cell
death, and MTS [3-(4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide] assay for cell viability revealed a significant toxic
effect with all sizes of nanoparticles tested. They also discovered
that small-sized nanoparticles with higher concentrations had the
most harmful effects [30]. PC12 cells can be employed as model
cells for in vitro investigations in neuron research, according to a
study by Xu et al. They found that increasing concentrations of
copper nanoparticles (nano-Cu) and treatment duration reduced
PC12 cell viability, showing that cell viability is related to concentration
and treatment time. These findings showed that copper
nanoparticles are toxic to DRG neurons in rats and PC12 cells in
mice in a size and dose dependent way [22]. In another study, it
has been reported that CuO nanoparticles induced cytotoxicity in
HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner [31]. Researchers have
claimed that tumor suppressor gene p53 and apoptotic gene caspase-
3 were upregulated when exposed to CuO nanoparticles[32].
Conclusion
There is limited awareness amongst dental students about use of
Copper nanoparticles therapy in medical applications. Enhanced
awareness initiatives and dental educational programmes together
with increased importance for curriculum improvements that further
promote knowledge and awareness of Copper nanoparticles
therapy.
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