[News release] Plant chemical could prevent tooth decay

From a May 2015 University of Edinburg news release


Embed from Getty Images


Oral care products containing a natural chemical that stops bacteria harming teeth could help fight decay, research shows.

The plant natural product acts against harmful mouth bacteria and could improve oral health by helping to prevent the build-up of plaque.

The compound – known as trans-chalcone – is related to chemicals found in liquorice root.

Oral bacteria

This exciting discovery highlights the potential of this class of natural products in food and healthcare technologies.

The University study shows that it blocks the action of a key enzyme that allows the bacteria to thrive in oral cavities.

The bacteria – Streptococcus mutans – metabolise sugars from food and drink, which produces a mild acid and leads to the formation of plaque.

Without good dental hygiene, the combination of plaque and mouth acid can lead to tooth decay.

Preventing biofilms

Researchers found that blocking the activity of the enzyme prevents bacteria forming a protective biological layer – known as a biofilm – around themselves.

Plaque is formed when bacteria attach themselves to teeth and construct biofilms.

Preventing the assembly of these protective layers would help stop bacteria forming plaque.

Oral care products that contain similar natural compounds could help people improve their dental hygiene.

Blocking enzyme function

The study is the first to show how trans-chalcone prevents bacteria forming biofilms.

The team worked out the 3D structure of the enzyme – called Sortase A – which allows the bacteria to make biofilms.

By doing this, researchers were able to identify how trans-chalcone prevents the enzyme from functioning.

The study, published in the journal Chemical Communications, was supported by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.

We were delighted to observe that trans-chalcone inhibited Sortase A in a test tube and stopped Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation. We are expanding our study to include similar natural products and investigate if they can be incorporated into consumer products.

Dr Dominic Campopiano

School of Chemistry

The Bizarre Dental Trivia Quiz

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Million Ideas

Trivia is awesome, especially when the questions are “a little out there.” Today’s trivia quiz is based on ridiculous dental facts. If you answer all of these correctly,  you’re a dental genius!

1) In what setting was the first commercial toothbrush (similar to what we use today) invented?

a) Laboratory

b) Prison

c) Kitchen

d) Zoo

 

2) What is the number one cause of tooth loss in people under the age of 35?

a) Periodontal disease

b) Eating a diet high in sugar

c) Gum disease

d) Accidents

 

3) In what year did the first electric toothbrush appear?

a) 1921

b) 1938

c) 1956

d) 1972

 

4)  Which of these foods or drink have antibacterial qualities that help prevent tooth decay?

a) Green Tea

b) Coffee

c) Broccoli

d) Lemons

 

5) 100 years ago, about how many adults in North America were completely toothless?

a) 30%

b) 40%

c) 50%

View original post 104 more words

Coconut Oil Could Combat Tooth Decay

English: Coconut oil in solid state (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the 30th August 2012 article at ScienceNewsDaily

Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a natural antibiotic that could be incorporated into commercial dental care products, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick…

..

Many previous studies have shown that partially digested foodstuffs are active against micro-organisms. Earlier work on enzyme-modified milk showed that it was able to reduce the binding of S. mutans to tooth enamel, which prompted the group to investigate the effect of other enzyme-modified foods on bacteria.

Further work will examine how coconut oil interacts with Streptococcus bacteria at the molecular level and which other strains of harmful bacteria and yeasts it is active against. Additional testing by the group at the Athlone Institute of Technology found that enzyme-modified coconut oil was also harmful to the yeast Candida albicans that can cause thrush.

The researchers suggest that enzyme-modified coconut oil has potential as a marketable antimicrobial which could be of particular interest to the oral healthcare industry. Dr Damien Brady who is leading the research said, “Dental caries is a commonly overlooked health problem affecting 60-90% of children and the majority of adults in industrialized countries. Incorporating enzyme-modified coconut oil into dental hygiene products would be an attractive alternative to chemical additives, particularly as it works at relatively low concentrations. Also, with increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important that we turn our attention to new ways to combat microbial infection.”

The work also contributes to our understanding of antibacterial activity in the human gut. “Our data suggests that products of human digestion show antimicrobial activity. This could have implications for how bacteria colonize the cells lining the digestive tract and for overall gut health,” explained Dr Brady. “Our research has shown that digested milk protein not only reduced the adherence of harmful bacteria to human intestinal cells but also prevented some of them from gaining entrance into the cell. We are currently researching coconut oil and other enzyme-modified foodstuffs to identify how they interfere with the way bacteria cause illness and disease,” he said.

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Dried licorice root fights the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease (with related alternative medicine links)

From the 4th January 2012 Science Daily article

Scientists are reporting identification of two substances in licorice — used extensively in Chinese traditional medicine — that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease, the leading causes of tooth loss in children and adults. In a study in ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, they say that these substances could have a role in treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease.

Stefan Gafner and colleagues explain that the dried root of the licorice plant is a common treatment in Chinese traditional medicine, especially as a way to enhance the activity of other herbal ingredients or as a flavoring. Despite the popularity of licorice candy in the U.S., licorice root has been replaced in domestic candy with anise oil, which has a similar flavor. Traditional medical practitioners use dried licorice root to treat various ailments, such as respiratory and digestive problems, but few modern scientific studies address whether licorice really works. (Consumers should check with their health care provider before taking licorice root because it can have undesirable effects and interactions with prescription drugs.) To test whether the sweet root could combat the bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities, the researchers took a closer look at various substances in licorice.

They found that two of the licorice compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, were the most effective antibacterial substances. These substances killed two of the major bacteria responsible for dental cavities and two of the bacteria that promote gum disease. One of the compounds — licoricidin — also killed a third gum disease bacterium. The researchers say that these substances could treat or even prevent oral infections.

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• HerbMed^® 
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How Bacteria Fight Fluoride in Toothpaste and in Nature

Yale researchers have uncovered the molecular tricks used by bacteria to fight the effects of fluoride, which is commonly used in toothpaste and mouthwash to combat tooth decay. (Credit: © mathom / Fotolia)

From the 22 December 2011 Science News Daily article

Yale researchers have uncovered the molecular tricks used by bacteria to fight the effects of fluoride, which is commonly used in toothpaste and mouthwash to combat tooth decay.

In the Dec. 22 online issue of the journal Science Express, the researchers report that sections of RNA messages called riboswitches — which control the expression of genes — detect the build-up of fluoride and activate the defenses of bacteria, including those that contribute to tooth decay.

“These riboswitches are detectors made specifically to see fluoride,” said Ronald Breaker, the Henry Ford II Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and senior author of the study.

Fluoride in over-the-counter and prescription toothpastes is widely credited with the large reduction in dental cavities seen since these products were made available beginning in the 1950s. This effect is largely caused by fluoride bonding to the enamel of our teeth, which hardens them against the acids produced by bacteria in our mouths. However, it has been known for many decades that fluoride at high concentrations also is toxic to bacteria, causing some researchers to propose that this antibacterial activity also may help prevent cavities.

The riboswitches work to counteract fluoride’s effect on bacteria. “If fluoride builds up to toxic levels in the cell, a fluoride riboswitch grabs the fluoride and then turns on genes that can overcome its effects,” said Breaker…

Read the entire news article

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