Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the mechanical, physicochemical, and antimicrobial properties of four different formulations containing micro- or nanoparticles of sodium trimetaphosphate (mTMP and nTMP, respectively). Methodology: Four experimental groups were used in this investigation: two mTMP groups and two nTMP groups, each containing zirconium oxide (ZrO2), and solution containing either chitosan or titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). Setting time, compression resistance, and radiopacity were estimated. The agar diffusion test was used to assess the antimicrobial activity of the formulations against five different microbial strains: Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, Actinomyces israelii, Candida albicans, and Enterococcus faecalis. Parametric and nonparametric tests were performed after evaluating homoscedasticity data (p<0.05). Results: From the properties evaluated, nTMP cements required less setting time and showed greater resistance to compression. Cements containing TiO2 showed greater radiopacity for both nTMP and mTMP. All four cement formulations showed antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and L. casei Conclusion: Formulations containing nTMP have shorter setting times and higher compressive strength, and those with TiO2 nanoparticles showed antimicrobial activities. Clinical relevance: The cement containing nTMP, ZrO2, and TiO2 could be an alternative material for protecting the pulp complex.

Microtubules were constructed by covering the fungus Aspergillus aculeatus sequentially with silver and gold nanoparticles, resulting in a stable hybrid mesostructured material that presented three distinct regions containing different combinations of silver and gold nanoparticles. These heterogeneities were determined by the hyphal growth since the impossibility to cover the dead fungus, which suggests the influence of the secondary metabolites produced by living fungus in the deposition mechanism.