Citrus and coconut biomass-powered dental protection discovery faces funding challenges

18 Sep 2024 --- New research in Foods suggests a non-irritating antibacterial solution using citrus and coconut chemical compounds could prevent oral inflammation in children and elderly and improve personal care products.

Personal Care Insights speaks to lead researcher and professor Shigeki Kamitani from the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology at Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan, about the findings and potential challenges.

Oral diseases are caused by infection by pathogenic bacteria that cause inflammation.

Effective and easy solution

The researchers warn many over-the-counter oral hygiene products are actually disinfectants, which can be irritating and potentially undermine preventive dental care practices.

“For example, ethanol in mouthwashes and types of liquid toothpaste is highly irritating when placed in the mouth,” they underline, saying such products are unsuited for use by children and the elderly, who are most susceptible to periodontal disease.

The compound Pru-C12 was found to have the highest antimicrobial effect (Image credit: Osaka Metropolitan University).To find an effective and easy-to-use antibacterial, Kamitani’s team verified the antibacterial effect of seven different compounds on periodontal disease prevention for people of all ages.

Prunin laurate (Pru-C12) and its variants were tested against the periodontal pathogenic bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis. The study points out “P. gingivalis is a keystone pathogen that causes dysbiosis by disrupting the homeostasis of the indigenous bacterial flora with the host through complementation.”

The compound Pru-C12 was found to have the highest antimicrobial effect and can be sourced from the biomass of citrus and coconut-derived components, suggesting a more sustainable source.

Kamitani says Pru-C12 is tasteless and hypoallergenic, and if it is proven safe for humans in the future, it could be an inexpensive antimicrobial solution.

Compounds found in citrus and coconut could be the solution to oral disease in children and the elderly.Funding challenges

When comparing Pru-C12 to existing over-the-counter oral hygiene products, Kamitani says he “cannot say anything definitive, but we believe that irritancy will be reduced, as per our research this time in comparison to commercially available oral hygiene products. We believe that its low irritancy will be an advantage for oral care products made for infants and the elderly.”

However, there are challenges in developing Pru-C12 as a commercially viable and sustainable antimicrobial solution for oral hygiene.

“At this time, we are not planning any human clinical trials. If we do so, we will first conduct tests on its safety. This requires a large amount of money, which is difficult to obtain at a university. In our study, Pru-C12 was prepared using purified reagents, but if we can make adjustments to derive these components from biomass at a lower cost, it would have commercial potential that satisfies the UN SDGs,” says Kamitani.

Oral care news

A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology found that while Listerine Cool Mint effectively targets dental plaque and gingivitis, its impact on the broader oropharyngeal microbiome should be carefully evaluated. Personal Care Insights spoke to Chris Kenyon, study author and the parent company of Listerine Cool Mint, Kenvue, who disputed the research findings.

We also interviewed Unilever and Takasago to learn how they are innovating to meet evolving consumer demands for oral care products.

Takasago observes robust growth in the Japanese market for oral care products, primarily driven by rising demand for premium products and an increasing number of seniors seeking specific functional toothpaste to maintain their natural teeth. Unilever backs this claim and expects oral hygiene will have a “stronger connection to systemic health.”

By Venya Patel

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