A compound found in citrus fruits and coconut called prunin laurate (Pru-C12) may be effective against the bacteria that cause gum disease, according to a recent study.
Gum disease affects an estimated 45 percent to 50 percent of adults worldwide in its mild form, according to a Global Burden of Disease study, and severe gum disease is estimated to affect 11.2 percent of the world’s adult population.
Dr. Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, told Newsweek that those numbers could be even higher.
“We think up to 80 percent of people worldwide will get gum disease at some stage of their lives,” he said.
“Obviously, more in the elderly, and generally more advanced in the elderly, because it’s a slow, insidious process.”
When bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)—the strain studied by scientists at the Osaka Metropolitan University—finds its way into crevices between the teeth and gums, an infection can take hold, eventually leading to decay and tooth loss.
“Plaque is the enemy here,” Carter explained. “Plaque is constantly formulated [on teeth] after we clean them. It’s a substrate to the sticky buildup that gets colonized by bacteria. So, that is then the cause for both dental decay…and also for gum disease.”
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Maintaining good oral hygiene is important to disrupt this build-up, but the Osaka scientists said that most products available in stores are highly irritating.
Mouthwashes, for example, may contain alcohols and synthetic chemicals that can lead to further oral health issues further down the line, and can feel irritating or uncomfortable to use, especially among the elderly—who are most likely to suffer from gum disease—and children—who need to look after their teeth to prevent gum issues as they grow.
This is why the study authors tested seven naturally derived compounds for their effectiveness against P. gingivalis. They found that Pru-C12 was the most effective.
“Pru-C12 is tasteless and hypoallergenic,” said professor Shigeki Kamitani, who led the research team, in a statement. “If its safety in humans is confirmed in the future, it could be an inexpensive antimicrobial solution.”
Carter, however, said that many oral health products are not as irritating as the scientists imply. He told Newsweek that toothpastes tend not to contain harsh ingredients that prevent people from using them, and mouthwashes are not an essential part of an oral hygiene routine.
“Most mouthwashes these days are without alcohol,” he added, explaining that many bestselling products are based on essential oils, like the antimicrobial extracts tested in the Osaka study.
“The prime aim in any oral care regime is to disrupt that plaque film,” he continued. “It’s plaque that’s older than 24 hours that really starts to cause a problem, which is why we would always be saying brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and you can get antibacterials in toothpaste as well.
“Mouthwash is an adjunct on to that. It will help, but it’s that mechanical disruption of the plaque through toothbrushing that we’re really looking for, so that it doesn’t become mature and start to cause problems.
“The use of an antibacterial mouthwash adds about 15 percent on to the plaque removal, so the vast majority of the plaque removal is being done by the toothbrush.”
Pru-C12 is a compound that can be derived from grapefruit peel or coconut. It had previously been found to have antimicrobial properties but had not been tested against P. gingivalis for potential use against gum disease.
The scientists found it was effective both in vitro and in mice against the bacteria, and it was nonirritating, so the scientists supposed it could be developed into effective oral hygiene products in the future, providing it was successful when tested on humans.
Carter said that their findings should not be interpreted as advice to eat grapefruit and coconut to improve oral health.
“What they’ve done here is use extracts,” he said. “[They’re] identifying coconuts and grapefruit as fruits that could potentially contain something that could be extracted to be used in oral health products.”
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Reference
Wada, E., Ito, C., Shinohara, M., Handa, S., Maetani, M., Yasugi, M., Miyake, M., Sakamoto, T., Yazawa, A., Kamitani, S. (2024). Prunin Laurate Derived from Natural Substances Shows Antibacterial Activity against the Periodontal Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, Foods 13(12), 1917. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121917