Development and evaluation of a safe and effective sugar-free herbal lollipop that kills cavity-causing bacteria

作     者：Chu-hong Hu Jian He Randal Eckert Xiao-yang Wu Li-na Li Yan Tian Renate Lux Justin A. Shuffer Faina Gelman Janet Mentes Sue Spackman Janet Bauer Maxwell H. Anderson Wen-yuan Shi 

作者机构：School of Dentistry University of California Los Angeles USA C3 Jian Inc Inglewood USA UCLA School of Nursing University of California Los Angeles USA 

出 版 物：《International Journal of Oral Science》 (国际口腔科学杂志（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2011年第3卷第1期

页      面：13-20页

核心收录：

学科分类：090603[农学-临床兽医学] 0832[工学-食品科学与工程（可授工学、农学学位）] 08[工学] 09[农学] 0906[农学-兽医学] 083202[工学-粮食、油脂及植物蛋白工程] 

基　　金：supported by C3 Jian Inc  Delta Dental-California and UCLA Oppenheimer Award 

主　　题：antimicrobial therapy licorice Streptococcus mutans 

摘      要：Dental caries （tooth decay） is caused by a specific group of cariogenic bacteria, like Streptococcus mutans, which convert dietary sugars into acids that dissolve the mineraI in tooth structure. Killing cariogenic bacteria is an effective way to control or prevent tooth decay. In a previous study, we discovered a novel compound （Glycyrrhizol A）, from the extraction of licorice roots, with strong antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria. In the current study, we developed a method to produce these specific herbal extracts in large quantities, and then used these extracts to develop a sugar-free lollipop that effectively kills cariogenic bacteria like Streptococcus mutans. Further studies showed that these sugar-free lollipops are safe and their antimicrobial activity is stable. Two pilot human studies indicate that a brief application of these lollipops （twice a day for ten days） led to a marked reduction of cariogenic bacteria in oral cavity among most human subjects tested. This herbal lollipop could be a novel tool to promote oral health through functional foods.