A primary global health concern, oral cancer has a high incidence rate and a poor prognosis because of drug resistance and delayed diagnosis (Mohanprasanth & Saravanan, 2024). Major risk factors include alcohol use, tobacco use, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. It mainly affects the lips, tongue, buccal mucosa, and other areas of the oral cavity (Ramachandran, 2024). According to current data, oral infections such as Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus mutans play a crucial role in the development and progression of oral cancer (Tsai et al., 2022). By forming biofilms and releasing acid, S. mutans plays a significant role in dental caries (Gao et al., 2024). While E. faecalis is implicated in persistent endodontic infections and antibiotic resistance (Alghamdi & Shakir, 2020). Both pathogens can induce chronic inflammation, promote immune evasion, and enhance cancer cell invasion, thereby contributing to tumor progression and poor therapeutic response. With more than 700 bacterial species, the oral cavity's microbiota is the second-largest and most diverse after the gut. Numerous microbes, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, can live there (Deo & Deshmukh, 2019). Oral infections, including dental caries, periodontitis, and oral candidiasis, are primarily caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Sanketh & Amrutha, 2014). Conventional antimicrobial treatments often face challenges such as bacterial resistance and biofilm formation, necessitating the development of alternative strategies. Recently, many pathogens have become antibiotic-resistant, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause infections at surgical sites. Moreover, Current treatment options are radiation therapy, which is a complex process with prolonged hospitalisation and induces oral mucositis (Sedek & Holiel, 2025). In this context, we need to enhance therapeutic efficacy, and researchers have recently focused on developing functional nanocomposites and bioactive compounds (Thirumalaivasan, 2025). A rapidly evolving field, nanomedicine focuses on the use of nanoparticles for medical and diagnostic purposes (Saka et al., 2022). Moreover, polymer-based nanocomposites have recently demonstrated strong inhibition of oral pathogens (Ali et al., 2025, Anandam et al., 2025, Ganesan et al., 2025, Ragunath et al., 2025).TiO2 nanoparticles have garnered considerable attention due to their diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects (Rao et al., 2019, Sundar et al., 2024). Titanium established a new standard in dental implants, marking a revolutionary breakthrough in implantology and previously reported for its biocompatibility (Thirumalaivasan et al., 2025). The application of Tridax-mediated TiO2 nanoparticles inhibits bacterial growth and prevents biofilm formation through their antimicrobial and photocatalytic mechanisms.

Tridax procumbens, a perennial herb in the Asteraceae family, is renowned for its medicinal properties, particularly its dose-dependent wound-healing activity (Preveena & Bhore, 2013). This plant is an essential natural resource and is predominantly found in tropical regions of the Americas. In addition, T. procumbens has been incorporated into various foods and beverages for its therapeutic benefits (R. Xu, Zhang, & Yuan, 2010), including antioxidant and antihyperuricemic effects (Blessymol, Yasotha, Kalaiselvi, & Gopi, 2024; Mathesh, Carmelin, et al., 2024), as well as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties (Nosrati & Heydari, 2025). Tridax procumbens has long been valued in traditional medicine, and its bioactive components, including flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids, can act as natural reducing and stabilizing agents during the green synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Compared with other biological sources, plants have attracted greater attention as bioreductants because of their bioactive compounds, which not only facilitate nanoparticle synthesis but also serve as natural capping agents. These Tridax-mediated TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit enhanced antimicrobial properties, making them promising candidates for anticancer treatments. The present study explores the synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial efficacy of Tridax-mediated TiO2 nanoparticles, as well as their antibacterial and anticancer activities.