ODONTOLOGY, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are effective universal germicides toward various pathogens. Herein, we developed synthesis of fast and stable Ag NPs with red cabbage extract (RCE) used as reducing and capping agent promoted by the LED light device used in clinics for dental polymerization and investigated their antimicrobial properties for dentistry purposes. We systematically explained the formation mechanism of anthocyanins (anth) directed, existing as main and predominant components in RCE, Ag NPs (anth@Ag NP) in 10 s (sn) under photoirradiation by LED light with a standard power mode (1000 mW/cm2). We tested anth@Ag NP as an effective cavity disinfectant and caries arresting agent with its enhanced antimicrobial property against model cariogenic pathogens including standard strains of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) ATCC 25275, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ATCC 29213, and Candida albicans (C. albicans) ATCC 90028. We claim that the anth@Ag NP can be doped into several dental materials polymerized by LED light for long-term antimicrobial properties toward dental infections.