Affordable oral health care: dental biofilm disruption using chloroplast made enzymes with chewing gum delivery

Current approaches for oral health care rely on procedures that are unaffordable to impoverished populations, whereas aerosolized droplets in the dental clinic and poor hygiene may contribute spread of several infectious diseases including COVID-19, requiring new solutions biofilm/plaque treatment at home. Plant cells have been used produce monoclonal antibodies or antimicrobial peptides topical applications decrease colonization pathogenic microbes surface. Therefore, we investigated an affordable method biofilm disruption by expressing lipase, dextranase mutanase plant via chloroplast genome. Antibiotic resistance gene engineer foreign genes into genome were subsequently removed using direct repeats flanking aadA enzymes successfully expressed marker-free lettuce transplastomic lines. Equivalent enzyme units plant-derived lipase performed better than purified commercial against biofilms, specifically targeting fungal hyphae formation. Combination with suppressed development degrading matrix, concomitant reduction bacterial accumulation. In chewing gum tablets formulated freeze-dried cells, protein was stable up 3 years ambient temperature efficiently released a time-dependent manner mechanical simulator device. Development edible eliminates need purification cold-chain transportation, providing potential translatable therapeutic approach. Biofilm through gum-based delivery offers effective control home particularly populations minimal access.