Preparation of arginine-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Arg@MSNs) to improve the mechanical and antibacterial properties of denture base resin

Whether the incorporation of arginine-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Arg@MSNs) into denture base resin can improve the mechanical and antibacterial properties is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to synthesis Arg@MSNs and explore how Arg@MSNs incorporation affects the mechanical and antibacterial properties of denture base resin. Arg@MSNs were synthesized via a sol-gel process and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared Arg@MSNs at different weight ratio concentrations were added into denture base resin as the experimental group, and unmodified denture base resin was the control. The fracture surface and arginine release behavior of each specimen were detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UHPLC-HESI-MS/MS), respectively. Three-point bend tests were applied using a universal testing machine for evaluation of the mechanical properties of each group (n=5). Antibacterial efficiency (n=3) was evaluated by both quantitative and qualitative analysis using Streptococcus mutans. The cytotoxic effect of the Arg@MSN-modified denture base resin was investigated using a cell counting kit (CCK)-8 test. Data were subjected to 1-way analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey honestly significant difference test (ɑ=.05). The prepared Arg@MSNs had good monodispersity and spherical morphology. Arg@MSN concentration at 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, and 2.5 wt% resulted in enhanced mechanical properties, while those at 5 wt% were adversely impacted. Biofilm pH values increased with the incorporation of Arg@MSNs, and the antibacterial performance was improved. The CCK-8 test revealed that all formulations were not cytotoxic. The addition of Arg@MSNs into denture base resin can enhance its mechanical properties and improve its antibacterial performance without any apparent cytotoxic effect.