Restoring dental health with the extract of the myrobalan

The ethanolic extract of Terminalia chebula (EETC), a plant known in South Asia as myrobalan, has been found to be a potential treatment for periodontal disease. A study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine investigates the effects of EETC on periodontal disease caused by dental plaque bacteria (DPB).

• The researchers cultured Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and other DPB species. They then tested the antibacterial effects of EETC on these cultures using the disc diffusion method.
• They also investigated the effect of EETC on inflammation resulting from the toxic bacterial secretions, such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), as well as its ability to prevent osteoclastic bone resorption.
• They noted the ability of the extract to suppress the growth of DPB and reduce the induction of inflammatory cytokines and proteases usually released in response to LPS, thereby halting the expression of PGE2 and COX-2. EETC also inhibited the formation of osteoclast precursors and the expression of RANKL in osteoblasts, contributing to a cease in the bone resorption process.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that EETC may be beneficial as a supplement for preventing periodontal disease mediated by DPB.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

Find other ways to care for the teeth at Dentistry.news.

Journal Reference:

Lee J, Nho YH, Yun SK, Hwang YS. USE OF ETHANOL EXTRACTS OF TERMINALIA CHEBULA TO PREVENT PERIODONTAL DISEASE INDUCED BY DENTAL PLAQUE BACTERIA. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 16 February 2017;17(113). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1619-1