Objectives: Bacterial infections, mainly due to rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), are an immense global health threat, complicating treatment, prolonging illness, and increasing mortality. The WHO lists AMR as one of the major threats to human health. Biofilm plays a crucial role in AMR, protecting bacteria and promoting resistance. Targeting biofilms improves antibiotic efficacy and reduces chronic infections. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) have emerged as a promising candidate in drug delivery, diagnostics, and antimicrobial therapies due to their distinctive properties. Methods: Due to the challenge of AMR and the potential of green-synthesized nanoparticles, this study investigates antibiofilm activity and intracellular ROS production by TiO₂-NPs produced from Linum usitatissimum seed extract. Results: The crystal size of LU-TiO₂-NPs was determined as 8.024 nm, and TEM validated the average particle size as 14.30 ± 5.93 nm. FTIR confirmed the presence of the O-Ti-O bond near 684 cm⁻¹. LU-TiO₂-NPs effectively inhibited biofilms, reducing biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 3160 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by 79.96% and 71.85%, respectively. Microscopic analysis also showed a reduction in bacterial adherence and colonization. This inhibition was supported by the reduction in exopolysaccharides, a major biofilm component. The biofilm inhibition was likely mediated by the induction of intracellular ROS production by LU-TiO₂-NPs. Furthermore, LU-TiO₂-NPs successfully eradicated established biofilms of both the Gram +ve and Gram −ve bacteria. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that TiO₂-NPs hold significant promise in tackling biofilm-associated bacterial infections and may prove beneficial in addressing the escalating problem of AMR.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health threat, which is becoming more challenging due to the involvement of bacterial virulence mechanisms such as quorum sensing (QS) and biofilm formation. These systems regulate pathogenic traits and shield bacteria from conventional therapies. Phytocompounds offer promising antivirulence strategies by disrupting QS and biofilms without exerting selective pressure. In this study, emodin, a natural anthraquinone, was evaluated for its anti-QS and antibiofilm efficacy. Emodin inhibited violacein production by 63.86% in C. violaceum 12472. In P. aeruginosa PAO1, it suppressed pyocyanin (68.04%), pyoverdin (48.79%), exoprotease (58.55%), elastase (43.13%), alginate (74.12%), and rhamnolipids (56.37%). In S. marcescens MTCC 97, emodin reduced prodigiosin (55.94%), exoprotease (48.80%), motility (83.27%), and cell surface hydrophilicity (41.20%). Biofilm formation was inhibited by over 50% in all three bacteria, highlighting emodin’s potential as a broad-spectrum antibiofilm agent. Molecular docking analyses indicated that emodin exhibited affinity towards QS regulatory proteins CviR, LasR, and SmaR, implying a possible competitive interaction at their ligand-binding sites. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations confirmed these observations by demonstrating structural stability in emodin-bound proteins. The collective insights from in vitro assays and computational studies underscore the potential of emodin in interfering with QS-mediated virulence expression and biofilm development. Such findings support the exploration of non-antibiotic QS inhibitors as therapeutic alternatives for managing bacterial infections and reducing dependence on traditional antimicrobial agents.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major public health threat. Due to the increased risk of bacterial resistance, antimicrobial drugs will lose some effectiveness for all users with each usage. Our aim is to assess students’ and faculty members’ awareness of antimicrobial use and its role in the development of antimicrobial resistance at Taibah University through this cross-sectional study. Between March 2025 and May 2025, 100 participants aged 18-44 from Taibah University in Saudi Arabia were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). The sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were analyzed, and their awareness of antibiotic resistance was assessed using various statistical methods. 92% of students selected that unnecessary intake of antibiotic leads to AMR and 76% students chooses that incomplete course of antibiotic leads to AMR but most of them choose to take antibiotic with physician prescription not over the counter. Nearly half of the respondents think antibiotics can be used for viral infections. Healthcare administrators should take an integrated approach, focusing on the main cause of AMR. Despite having good knowledge about antibiotic use respondents involve in practices which leads to the AMR. People’s behavior and actions regarding antibiotics significantly influence the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This study offered valuable insights into the knowledge and practices related to antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance among the Taibah University community. In general, a good understanding of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance was evident among the surveyed sample. Future research on this topic is still necessary.