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SEATTLE, Wash./IOWA CITY, Iowa, USA: Researchers from the U.S. have found new evidence that glycyrrhizol A from the Chinese herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis, more commonly known as licorice root, in lollipops improves oral health. In a recent study, they found that the herbal compound reduced the activity of the main agents of periodontal disease and tooth decay.
In the in vitro study, researchers from the University of Iowa inoculated agar plates with a number of pathogens, including agents associated with periodontal disease, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia and Streptococcus mutans, which causes dental caries.
The researchers punched four wells into each plate, of which two were filled with dissolved sugar-free herbal lollipop and the other two with sugar-free placebo lollipop. The plates were incubated for 48 hours and inhibition was measured afterwards. The procedure was repeated three times.
The researchers observed significant inhibition in the P. intermedia, P. gingivalis and S. mutans plates, with S. mutans having demonstrated the largest inhibition followed by P. gingivalis. However, no such effect was noted in the other plates.
"The results suggest that the sugar-free herbal lollipops may play a role in decreasing the levels of certain periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity," the researchers concluded. "More research, including clinical research, is needed to assess the efficacy of glycyrrhizol A in reducing periodontal pathogens," they added.
Glycyrrhizol A is isolated from the Chinese plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Another study, published in the Journal of Natural Products in 2011, also found that the substance has antibacterial properties. The researchers reported that it killed the main bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.
The findings were presented at the International Association for Dental Research's annual meeting last month.
