Purpose.Inflammation and tissue breakdown are led by an array of inflammatory destructive mediators associated with initiation and progression of inflammatory diseases like periodontitis. Current evidence shows that these inflammatory mediators have a definitive role in the pathogenesis of various systemic diseases with an inflammatory component. Interleukin-21 (IL-21) has been associated with systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease that follow a chronic inflammatory cascade. Similarly recent studies have associated Interleukin-21 levels with periodontitis. This systematic review was aimed to assess the levels of IL-21 in subjects with periodontitis.Methods.A complete literature search was done in PubMed, Medline, Science Direct, and Cochrane databases and Google Scholar based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Six relevant articles were procured. Full text was read individually by two reviewers and data extraction was done based on STROBE statement.Results.After data extraction five observational and one interventional study were obtained. All the studies showed an increased expression of IL-21 in periodontitis and the interventional study showed reduction in IL-21 levels after nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSP).Conclusion.Interleukin-21 levels are higher in periodontitis than controls. With this limited evidence further longitudinal studies are required to consider this as a definitive inflammatory marker.

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles has gained attention for being environmentally friendly and cost-effective. This study investigates the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using neem and turmeric extracts, which serve as natural reducing and capping agents, with a focus on characterizing these nanoparticles and assessing their antimicrobial properties against oral pathogens. Neem and turmeric extracts were prepared by heating their powdered forms in distilled water, followed by filtration. The extracts were then mixed with a silver nitrate solution, and the reaction was stirred for 24–48 h. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Visible spectroscopy, SEM, EDAX, and XRD analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles was tested against four oral pathogens using the agar well diffusion method. Successful synthesis of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by a color change and characterization analyses. UV–Visible spectroscopy showed a peak at 440 nm, indicating nanoparticle formation. SEM revealed spherical and uniform nanoparticles, while EDAX confirmed the presence of silver. XRD analysis showed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles, with sizes ranging from 4 nm to 14.81 nm. The nanoparticles exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Lactobacillus species, but were less effective against Candida albicans. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of neem and turmeric extracts in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles, which exhibited notable antimicrobial activity. This research underscores the potential of plant-mediated synthesis for developing eco-friendly antimicrobial agents.

Introduction: Periodontitis is a chronic bacterial infection characterized by persistent inflammation, connective tissue breakdown and alveolar bone destruction mediated by pro-inflammatory mediators. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an important pro-inflammatory mediator that produced causes destruction of periodontal tissues. Objective: The aim of the study is to estimate the salivary TNF-α in chronic and aggressive periodontitis and control participants and further correlate the levels with clinical parameter such as gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 75 subjects age ranging from 25 to 55 years attending the outpatient section of Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital. The study groups included Groups 1, 2, and 3 with participants with healthy periodontium (n = 25), generalized chronic periodontitis (n = 25) and generalized aggressive periodontitis (n = 25), respectively. Salivary samples from the participants were used to assess the TNF-α levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: GI and PI were found to be significantly higher in chronic and aggressive periodontitis compared to the controls. The mean TNF-α value in chronic periodontitis patients (12.92 ± 17.21 pg/ml) was significantly higher than in control subjects (2.15 ± 3.60 pg/ml). Whereas, in aggressive periodontitis patients the mean TNF-α (7.23 ± 7.67) were not significantly different from chronic periodontitis or healthy subjects. Among periodontitis participants, aggressive periodontitis subjects exhibited a significant positive correlation between the salivary TNF-α and PPD. Conclusion: Salivary TNF-α levels are significantly higher in chronic periodontitis than in healthy subjects, but there was no significant correlation with the clinical parameters.