Effect of Matricaria aurea Essential Oils on Biofilm Development, Virulence Factors and Quorum Sensing-Dependent Genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms presents a substantial global public health threat. The increase in pathogens resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics underscores the urgent requirement to explore alternative treatment strategies. This study adopts a novel approach by harnessing natural resources, specifically essential oils (EO), to combat bacterial pathogenicity. The primary aim of this research was to analyze the chemical composition of the aerial part of the Matricaria aurea (M. aureas) EO and evaluate its potential for inhibiting quorum sensing (QS) and disrupting biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis unveiled that α-bisabolol oxide A constituted the predominant portion, comprising 64.8% of the total, with ß-bisabolene at 6.3% and α-farnesene at 4.8% following closely behind. The antibiofilm efficacy was observed at concentrations of 0.3, 0.15, and 0.08 mg/mL, demonstrating negligible effects on cell viability. Furthermore, the EO from M. aurea effectively inhibited the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilms by diminishing aggregation, hydrophobicity, and swarming motility. Significantly, the EO treatment resulted in a conspicuous decrease in the production of pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), along with a reduction in the enzymatic activity of protease and chitinase. The EO effectively hindered QS by disrupting QS mechanisms, resulting in a marked decline in the secretion of N-Acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules and the expression of phazA1 and aprA genes. This investigation offers compelling evidence supporting the potential of M. aurea EO as a promising therapeutic candidate for addressing infectious diseases induced by biofilm formation.

Effect of Visual Exposure versus Obstruction upon Patient's Quantitative and Qualitative Stress Parameters Changes during Minor Oral Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Dental anxiety is ultimately related to the fear of pain, more evidently seen in surgical dental procedures. This study aimed at comparing the stress parameter differences between patients undergoing minor oral surgery (MOS) with their eyes covered (closed) versus uncovered (open) at our center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three MOS patients were draped with eyes covered, while another 23 MOS patients were draped with eyes uncovered. Stress parameters such as systolic and diastolic blood pressures (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, random blood glucose, and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-6 questionnaire score were recorded accordingly in the different intervals; then statistically analyzed later. RESULTS: Closed eyes patients had significantly lower mean DBP and MAP (73.91 ± 6.80/88.94 ± 6.88 mm Hg) as compared with open eyes patients intraoperatively. Though significant only in the postoperative phase, the closed eyes group had a relatively lower mean heart pulse rate than the open eyes group in all surgical intervals. Postoperatively, closed eyes patients had lower mean blood glucose level as compared with open eyes group. STAI mean score revealed a higher psychological stress for closed eyes patients versus open eyes patients. CONCLUSION: Closed eyes patients displayed lower quantifiable physiological stress level as compared with patients undergoing MOS draped with eyes uncovered. However, in qualitative psychological context, closed eyes draped MOS patients responded poorly as compared with opened eyes draped patients under similar surgical stress.

A Retrospective Study on the Etiological Factors of Orofacial Pain in a Malaysian Sample.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the etiological factors of orofacial pain for patients attending dental clinic at Faculty of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study examined the data of 248 patients who have attended dental clinic at Faculty of Dentistry IIUM and suffering from different types of orofacial pain. The data were collected from January 2010 to November 2018. The etiologies of pain were classified according to International Classification of Orofacial Pain, 1st edition (2020). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The association of age and gender with orofacial pain was evaluated by using the Chi-square test, and the significance level was set to 0.05. RESULTS: Collected data showed that orofacial pain has different etiologies among the patients attending the dental clinic at Faculty of Dentistry IIUM. Moreover, a statistically significant relation was observed between orofacial pain toward gender and different age group. CONCLUSION: The findings proposed that the orofacial pain has a variety of etiological factors with the highest percentage of orofacial pain attributed to disorders of dentoalveolar and anatomically related structures among patients attending dental clinic at Faculty of Dentistry IIUM.

The relationship between tooth loss, body mass index, and hypertension in postmenopausal female.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the level of blood pressure with the hypothesis that tooth loss is associated with the increase of hypertension in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty postmenopausal female patients aged 51-68 years were included in the study to assess the relationship between tooth loss and the level of blood pressure. The information including sociodemographics, last menstruation period, hypertension history, and the duration of having tooth loss was recorded. Blood pressure was measured using sphygmomanometer and the number of tooth loss was determined. RESULTS: The results showed a more significant tooth loss in hypertension (median: 23 + 4; interquartile range [IQR]: 6) compared to the normotension postmenopausal women (median: 18 + 6; IQR: 12; P < 0.05). Furthermore, obese patients had more tooth loss (median: 23 + 5; IQR: 8) than the overweight patients (median: 19 + 8; IQR: 8). CONCLUSION: Tooth loss is associated with the increase of hypertension in postmenopausal women which may have a role in the development of vascular diseases.