Herbal panacea: The need for today in dentistry

Exploring the Chemical and Biological Potential of Jamun (Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels) Leaves: A Comprehensive Review

Leaves of jamun collected as agro by-produce during the cultivation of jamun is traditionally used as ayurvedic medicine to treat diabetes, gall bladder stones and other ailments. Most of the beneficial effects of jamun leaves are associated with phytochemicals found in jamun leaves such as gallic acid, tannins, mallic acid, flavonoids, essential oils, jambolin, ellagic acid, jambosine, antimellin and betulinic acid. Jamun possess curative activities like anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antiradiation, chemotherapeutic, and gastroprotective. The main goal of this review article is to provide information on the nutritional content, phytochemical composition and health promoting properties of jamun leaves. The review of literature based on the phytochemical composition and health promoting benefits of the jamun leaves, suggests that leaves can be used as potential constituent in the formulation of pharmacological drugs. From the review literature it is found that clinical, in-vivo, in-vitro studies are still required to check the health promoting effects of jamun leaves extracts on humans.

Role of Medicinal Herbs in Periodontal Therapy: A Systematic Review

Aims and Objectives

The use of medicinal herbs to prevent gingival and periodontal diseases has become increasingly popular due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This systematic review aims to provide the current literature to validate the traditional use of medicinal herbs in the management of gingival and periodontal diseases.

Materials and Methods

An online literature search was conducted to identify research papers published from 2010 to 2022 in three major scientific databases, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, in June 2022. Original research studies, case reports, and systematic reviews on medicinal plants' application in oral health care were selected to be included in this systematic review. Only high-quality articles identified in the quality assessment were included for evidence synthesis.

Results

Initial keyword research yielded 726 free-text articles published between 2010 and 2022. Of these, 14 articles (8 research papers and 6 reviews) were included for evidence synthesis. The review's findings indicate that the antibacterial property of medicinal plants is due to their alkaline nature and prevents plaque and calculus formation by maintaining acid-alkali balance in saliva. Various parts of medicinal plants help maintain periodontal health. Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ficus religiosa, and Plantago major effectively inhibit primary plaque colonizers and periodontal pathogens. Medicago sativa, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Trifolium pratense have excellent applications in treating periodontal diseases. Mangifera indica, Pongamia pinnata, the husk of Cocos nucifera, the root of G. glabra and Curcuma longa, leaves of Psidium guajava and Azadirachta indica, fruits of Citrus medica and Punica granatum, Ocimum Moringa oleifera extract, and pomegranate peel extract can serve as a promising alternative in managing chronic gingivitis.

Conclusion

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and astringent action of extracts obtained from various parts of medicinal plants make them effective in reducing gingival and periodontal diseases. Herbal medicine may be a viable alternative to contemporary pharmaceuticals as an adjuvant to scaling and root planning procedures.

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Elettaria cardamomum Oil, Trachyspermum ammi Oil and 5% Sodium Hypochlorite Against Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Formed on Tooth Substrate

Context:

The usual cause of nonfulfillment of endodontic therapy is the persistence of microorganisms in the root canal system due to ineffective disinfection. Enterococcus faecalis is one of the most prevalently isolated microorganisms following a failure in root canal treatments. Sodium hypochlorite is among the most effectively used irrigant solutions but has many shortcomings. Herbal alternatives for sodium hypochlorite might prove to be superior due to their high antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aims:

This study is aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Trachyspermum ammi oil and Elettaria cardamomum oil against 2-week-old and 4-week-old E. faecalis biofilms formed on tooth substrate.

Settings and Design:

A pure culture of E. faecalis was grown on brain heart infusion agar, inoculated into brain heart infusion broth, and incubated at 37°C overnight. Single rooted human mandibular premolars were sectioned below cementoenamel junction, enlarged, and vertically sectioned along the midsagittal plane. The samples were then placed in tissue culture wells inoculated with 2 ml of the bacterial solution and incubated at 37°C.

Materials and Methods:

Group 1 E. cardamomum oil (cardamom), Group 2 T. ammi oil (ajwain), Group 3 5% sodium hypochlorite, and Group 4 Saline (control) (n = 10). At the end of the 2^nd and 4^th weeks, all groups were treated for 10 min with 3 ml of the respective solutions. Quantitative analysis was performed by serial dilution.

Results:

T. ammi oil and sodium hypochlorite treated teeth showed complete elimination of both the 2-week-old and 4-week-old E. faecalis biofilm. Meanwhile, saline and E. cardamomum oil-treated teeth still showed the presence of E. faecalis.

Conclusions:

The use of T. ammi oil as a root canal irrigant solution can be considered as an alternative to sodium hypochlorite.

Assessment of the Vanillin Anti-Inflammatory and Regenerative Potentials in Inflamed Primary Human Gingival Fibroblast

Background

Inflammatory responses have been associated with delayed oral mucosal wound healing and the pathogenesis of the periodontal disease. The invasion of microbes into the tissues and the establishment of a chronic infection may be due to impaired healing. The protracted inflammatory phase may delay wound healing and probably support tissue fibrosis and reduce tissue regeneration. Vanillin is a well-known natural compound with potential anti-inflammatory capacity. Hence, we hypothesized that Vanillin could accelerate wound healing reducing inflammation and especially cytokine production making the oral tissue repair process easier.

Methods

Our hypothesis was tested using primary human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cell pretreated with Vanillin and primed with IL-1β, as inductor of proinflammatory environment. After 24 hours of treatments, the gene expression and production of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, COX-2, iNOS, and nitric oxide (NO) generation and the wound healing rate were determined.

Results

In IL-1β-primed cells, preincubation with Vanillin reduced IL-6, IL-8, COX-2, and iNOS expression and NO release, compared to IL-1β-primed cells. Moreover, Vanillin determines the increased gene expression of nAChRα7, leading us to hypothesize a role of Vanillin in the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Furthermore, in presence of mechanical injury, the Vanillin preincubation, wound closure may be reducing the expression and release of IL-6 and TNF-α and upregulation of COX-2 and IL-8.

Conclusion

Together, the results of this study highlight the anti-inflammatory and tissue repair ability of Vanillin in IL-1β-primed HGF. Therefore, Vanillin shows a potential therapeutic interest as an inflammatory modulator molecule with novel application in periodontal regeneration and oral health.

The effects of a novel herbal toothpaste on salivary lactate dehydrogenase as a measure of cellular integrity

OBJECTIVE

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a critical intracellular enzyme responsible for anaerobic respiration in pyruvate metabolism which becomes detectable in extracellular spaces after cellular breakdown. This clinical investigation examined the effects of brushing with a test toothpaste containing natural ingredients, i.e., clove (Syzygium aromaticum), aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), amla (Emblica officinalis), neem (Azadirachta indica), tulsi (Ocimum basillicum), and honey (from Apis mellifera), and 0.96% zinc (zinc oxide, zinc citrate) and 0.76% SMFP (1000 ppm F) in a calcium carbonate base formulated with natural ingredients (Ved Shakti, Colgate Palmolive India) and a fluoride toothpaste containing 0.76% SMFP (1000 ppm F) in a calcium carbonate base (Colgate Cavity Protection, Colgate Palmolive; henceforth control) on salivary LDH in conjunction with the assessments of dental plaque and gingivitis representing oral hygiene parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This double-blind, two-cell study enrolled 70 adults (age range 20-59 years). Subjects completed a washout and provided baseline saliva samples for LDH analysis and clinical assessments of dental plaque and gingivitis using the Turesky Modification of Quigley-Hein and Loe-Silness methods respectively. Subjects were randomly assigned to brush their teeth with either the test or control. Post-treatment sample collection and clinical evaluations were conducted after 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 week sof brushing with all assessments conducted 12 h after hygiene. Statistical analyses were conducted independently for each parameter by t-test for within treatment evaluation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for between treatment comparisons.

RESULTS

At baseline, treatment groups demonstrated no significant differences for LDH or dental plaque and gingival index scores. Brushing with the test demonstrated progressive reductions in salivary LDH, plaque and gingival index scores over the study duration in comparison to the control. The test demonstrated reductions in LDH of 9.5-15.4% over the study period in comparison to the control representing statistically significant effects (p < 0.05). The test also demonstrated reductions in dental plaque that ranged between 6.4 and 16.2% over the study period and gingivitis reductions that ranged between 8.2 and 23.8% representing statistically significant results (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Brushing with a novel herbal toothpaste demonstrated significant reductions in salivary LDH representing improvements in cellular integrity with concurrent reductions in dental plaque and gingivitis as compared to the control dentifrice.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Salivary LDH measurements offer a non-invasive and objective measurement of mucosal cellular integrity complementing other evaluations and clinical assessments such as plaque and gingival index scores.