According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 3.9 billion people worldwide suffer from non-communicable oral diseases, with head and neck cancer patients experiencing exacerbated oral mucositis primarily from radiotherapy. This condition manifests as painful, debilitating mucosal lesions, necessitating effective antimicrobial interventions. This study developed and characterized stable mouthwash formulations containing green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from Baccharis trimera (carqueja) extract for the management of oral mucositis, evaluating their physicochemical stability, antimicrobial efficacy, and biosafety. AgNPs formation was confirmed by color change to brown and a surface plasmon resonance band at 407 nm (UV-Vis), with dynamic light scattering revealing a monomodal hydrodynamic diameter of ~25 nm and stable dispersion; scanning electron microscopy showed spherical particles of 25–35 nm. Four formulations (22–85 ppm AgNPs) in a commercial vehicle exhibited excellent stability over 60 days at 5 °C and 25 °C, maintaining near-neutral pH (~7), low surface tension ( 500 µg/mL). Against human oral microbiota (n = 4 volunteers), it reduced bacterial growth by 14–156% relative to controls (e.g., −5% to 156% inhibition). Cytogenotoxicity tests (A. cepa) confirmed non-toxicity (mitotic index 79–93% of control, low cellular alteration index). These findings establish the carqueja-mediated instant green AgNPs mouthwash as a stable, potent antimicrobial agent, poised to mitigate mucositis-related infections and enhance the quality of life of cancer patients.
Oliveira et al. (Tue,) studied this question.