Characterization of the Nanostructure of Collagen Fibers Following the Application of Dilute Hydrogen Peroxide used in Dental Whitening Treatments

• Published in: Analytical letters Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 705 - 713
• Main Authors: Branco, A. C., Ribeiro, N., Figueiredo-Pina, C. G., Colaço, R., Serro, A. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 23-03-2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agglomerates; Atomic force microscopy; Collagen; Dental materials; dentin; Dichroism; Dilution; Electrophoresis; Fibers; Hydrogen peroxide; Nanostructure; Polyacrylamide; Sodium dodecyl sulfate
• ISSN: 0003-2719; 1532-236X
• DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2019.1668946

This work aims to understand the effect of dilute hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) solutions, used in dental whitening treatments, on the nanostructure of type I collagen fibers. Using this approach, collagen fibers were exposed to 1%, 3% and 5% H
2
O
2
solutions, and the changes in their nanostructure were analyzed by combining topographical and phase-shift atomic force microscopy (T-AFM and PS-AFM) results with circular dichroism (CD) and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The combination of these techniques demonstrates that after exposure to 1 to 5% peroxide solutions, collagen fibers form agglomerates while the rupture of intramolecular bonds occurs, leading to collagen secondary structure loss and degradation. These results show for the first time that even dilute H
2
O
2
solutions have a significant effect on collagen at the nanostructural level.