Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Effects of Zingiberaceae Oils: A Natural Solution for Oral Health.

Essential oils have been recognised for their potential benefits in oral care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial and antiproliferative activity of essential oils derived from four Zingiberaceae species. A combination of GC/MS and GC-FID was employed to analyse these essential oils. The results showed that ß-myrcene (79.77 %) followed by ethyl-cinnamate (40.14 %), ß-curcumene (34.90 %), and alloaromadendrene (25.15 %) as the primary constituents of Curcuma mangga, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Kaempferia galanga and Curcuma aeruginosa, respectively. The Zingiberaceae oils were tested for their antibacterial activity against oral bacteria using the disc diffusion test. Curcuma xanthorrhiza oil showed the largest inhibition zones against Streptococcus mitis (19.50±2.22 mm) and Streptococcus sanguinis (15.04±3.05 mm). Similarly, Curcuma mangga oil exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans (12.55±0.45 mm) and mixed oral bacteria (15.03±3.82 mm). Furthermore, the MTT viability assay revealed moderate inhibitory activity of these essential oils against H103 and ORL-204 oral cancer cells. The study findings demonstrate that Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Curcuma mangga essential oils have potent antibacterial properties, suggesting their potential use as natural alternatives to synthetic antibacterial agents in oral care products. However, further investigations are necessary to fully explore their therapeutic applications.

Chemopreventive activity of Tualang honey against oral squamous cell carcinoma-in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemopreventive activity of Malaysian jungle Tualang honey (TH) after oral carcinogenesis induced with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4 NQO). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 28 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were distributed into 4 groups as follows: group 1 (nontreated group); group 2 (control), which received 4 NQO during 8 weeks in drinking water only; and groups 3 and 4, which received 4 NQO for 8 weeks in drinking water and treated with TH 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg by oral gavage for 10 weeks. All rats from all experiments were sacrificed after 22 weeks, and the incidence of oral neoplasms and histopathologic changes were microscopically evaluated. Moreover, immunohistochemical expression was analyzed in tongue specimens by using image analysis software. The expression of particular genes associated with oral cancer were assessed by using RT2 Profiler PCR Array (Qiagen, Germantown, MD). RESULTS: TH significantly reduced the incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and suppressed cancer cell proliferation via diminishing the expression of CCND1, EGFR, and COX-2. Furthermore, TH preserved cellular adhesion (epithelial polarity) through overexpression of ß-catenin and e-cadherin and inhibited the OSCC aggressiveness by downregulating TWIST1 and RAC1. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that TH exerts chemopreventive activity in an animal model in which oral cancer was induced by using 4 NQO.

The in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of Dracaena cinnabari resin extract on oral cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To study the potential for apoptosis induction of Dracaena cinnabari Balf. f methanolic extract (DCBME) on tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line, H103. We evaluated the chemopreventive activity of DCBME against 4-nitroquinolone-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced tongue carcinogenesis in rat. DESIGN: Phase contrast microscope, acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) analysis of cells under fluorescence microscope, annexin-V flow-cytometry, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and caspase 3/7, 8 and 9 assays were performed. In vivo study, the rats were given 4NQO in their drinking water. The tongue was subjected to histopathological study to evaluate the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). RESULTS: DCBME showed cytotoxic effect on H103 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, DCBME showed low cytotoxic effect on a normal cell line. In H103 cells, it caused cell morphology changes, S and G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest, significant reduction of cell migration and induced apoptosis through the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway. The incidence of SCC was 85.7% in the induced cancer and vehicle groups while in rats treated with DCBME at 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg was 57.1%, 28.6% and 14.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: (DCBME)-apoptosis induction reported in this work can be exploited as a potential antitumor agent with applications in medicinal treatments of tongue SCC.

The Role of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channels in the Transduction of Dental Pain.

Dental pain is a common health problem that negatively impacts the activities of daily living. Dentine hypersensitivity and pulpitis-associated pain are among the most common types of dental pain. Patients with these conditions feel pain upon exposure of the affected tooth to various external stimuli. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying dental pain, especially the transduction of external stimuli to electrical signals in the nerve, remain unclear. Numerous ion channels and receptors localized in the dental primary afferent neurons (DPAs) and odontoblasts have been implicated in the transduction of dental pain, and functional expression of various polymodal transient receptor potential (TRP) channels has been detected in DPAs and odontoblasts. External stimuli-induced dentinal tubular fluid movement can activate TRP channels on DPAs and odontoblasts. The odontoblasts can in turn activate the DPAs by paracrine signaling through ATP and glutamate release. In pulpitis, inflammatory mediators may sensitize the DPAs. They could also induce post-translational modifications of TRP channels, increase trafficking of these channels to nerve terminals, and increase the sensitivity of these channels to stimuli. Additionally, in caries-induced pulpitis, bacterial products can directly activate TRP channels on DPAs. In this review, we provide an overview of the TRP channels expressed in the various tooth structures, and we discuss their involvement in the development of dental pain.

Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of Dracaena cinnabari resin methanol extract in rats.

BACKGROUND: Dracaena cinnabari (DC) is a perennial tree that located on the Southern coast of Yemen native to the Socotra Island. This tree produces a deep red resin known as the Dragon's blood, the Twobrother's Blood or Damm Alakhwain. The current study performed to evaluate the safety of the DC resin methanol extract after a single or 28 consecutive daily oral administrations. METHODS: In assessing the safety of DC resin methanol extract, acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests performed following OECD guidelines 423 and 407, respectively, with slight modifications. In acute oral toxicity test, DC resin methanol extract administered to female Sprague Dawley rats by oral gavage at a single dose of 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight. Rats observed for toxic signs for 14 days. In sub-acute oral toxicity test, DC resin methanol extract administered to the rats by oral gavage at 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg body weight daily up to 28 days to male and female Spradgue Dawley rats. The control and high dose in satellite groups were also maintained and handled as the previous groups to determine the late onset toxicity of DC resin methanol extract. At the end of each test, hematological and biochemical analysis of the collected blood were performed as well as gross and microscopic pathology. RESULTS: In acute oral toxicity, no treatment-related death or toxic signs were observed. It revealed that the DC resin methanol extract could be well tolerated up to the dose 2000 mg/kg body weight and could be classified as Category 5. The sub-acute test observations indicated that there are no treatment-related changes up to the high dose level compared to the control. Food consumption, body weight, organ weight, hematological parameters, biochemical parameters and histopathological examination (liver, kidney, heart, spleen and lung) revealed no abnormalities. Water intake was significantly higher in the DC resin methanol extract treated groups compared to the control. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates tolerability of DC resin methanol extract administered daily for 28 days up to 1500 mg/kg dose.

Inverse changes in plasma tetranectin and titin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a potential predictor of acute myocardial infarction?

An early intervention using biomarkers to predict acute myocardial infarction (AMI) will effectively reduce global heart attack incidence, particularly among high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study attempted to identify potential biomarkers by detecting changes in the levels of plasma proteins in T2DM patients following onset of AMI in comparison with those without AMI. Volunteer T2DM patients without AMI (control; n=10) and T2DM patients with AMI (n=10) were recruited. Plasma samples from these patients were evaluated via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) to screen for proteins with level changes between the two groups. The abundance of spots on gel images was analyzed using Progenesis SameSpots and subjected to false discovery rate (FDR) analysis. Protein spots with statistically significant changes of at least 1.5 fold were selected for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Due to strong cardiac connections, tetranectin and titin were evaluated by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The adjusted P-values and fold changes between the two groups resulted in identification of 34 protein spots with significantly altered abundance. Upon MS analysis, 17 plasma proteins were identified: tetranectin, titin, clusterin, haptoglobin, myosin-13, zinc fnger protein 445, DNA repair protein RAD50, serum albumin, apolipoprotein A-IV, caspase-6, aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1, serotransferrin, retinol-binding protein 4, transthyretin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, apolipoprotein A-I and serum amyloid A. Comparable patterns of changes in tetranectin and titin between the control and AMI groups were confirmed using ELISA. In summary, tetranectin and titin in plasma appeared to be closely associated with the onset of AMI among T2DM patients and can be used as potential biomarkers for prediction of a cardiac event, though this requires validation in a prospective cohort study.

Analysis of dental erosion induced by different beverages and validity of equipment for identifying early dental erosion, in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: To understand early dental erosion induced by different beverages and the equipment for its detection. METHODS: The study was conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from June to September 2014, and comprised single-rooted, unpolished teeth divided into six groups. Electron micrographs and other baseline readings for further analyses were taken before and after the exposure to different beverages. The teeth were exposed to the beverages using a modified Nordini's artificial mouth model. The positioning of the teeth on the motorised stage of the equipment was standardised. RESULTS: Of the several beverages used, CocaCola had the lowest pH value of 2.53, while tap water had the highest pH of 5.4. Deionised distilled water, which was used as a reference, had a pH near to neutral /alkaline of 7.3. The fluoride content ranged between 9.38ppm in tea and 0.005ppm in orange juice. Teeth exposed to beverages with low pH and considerably high fluoride underwent slight remineralisation (roughness increase 8% from tea), while beverages with no fluoride content and low pH roughened the enamel surface (Coca Cola roughened upto 37%). Quantitative analyses of tooth erosion, micro-hardness, surface-roughness, and surface-height showed that all beverages exhibited positive erosive effect on the tooth enamel surface (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: CocaCola was found to be the most erosive agent among both hot and cold beverages (37%), while coffee was more erosive among the hot beverages (29%).

Can stature be estimated from tooth crown dimensions? A study in a sample of South-East Asians.

OBJECTIVE: Stature estimation is an important step during medico-legal and forensic examination. Difficulty arises when highly decomposed and mutilated dead bodies with fragmentary remains are brought for forensic identification like in mass disaster or airplane crash. The body remains could be just a jaw with some teeth. The objective of this study was to explore if the stature of an individual can be determined from the tooth crown dimensions. DESIGN: A total of 201 volunteers participated in this study. The stature and clinical crown dimensions (length, mesiodistal and labiolingual diameters) of maxillary anterior teeth were measured. Correlation between crown dimensions and stature was analyzed by Pearson correlation test. Regression analysis was used to get equations for estimation of stature from crown measurements. The regression equations were applied in the same sample of volunteers that was used to obtain the equations. The reliability and accuracy of the equations were checked in another sample of volunteers. RESULTS: Length and mesiodistal diameter of the crown of central incisors and canines showed significant albeit low to moderate correlations (0.35-0.45) with the stature. The correlation co-efficient values were higher (as high as 0.537) when summation of the measurements was taken for analysis. The regression equations when applied to the same and a test sample of volunteers revealed that differences between actual and estimated stature can be as low as 0.01 to as much as 16.50cm. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that although there are some degrees of positive correlations between stature and tooth crown dimensions, stature estimation from the tooth crown dimensions cannot provide the accuracy of estimation as required in forensic situations. The stature estimation accuracy using tooth crown dimensions is comparable to that of cephalo-facial dimensions but inferior to that of long bones.

Is synthetic mouthwash the final choice to treat oral malodour?

The aim of the review was to critically appraise the various pros and cons of the synthetic and herbal agents used in mouthwashes against halitosis and facilitate users to choose appropriate mouthwashes according to their need. Oral Malodour (OMO) or halitosis is a global epidemic with social and psychological impact. Use of mouthwash has been adopted worldwide to control halitosis within a past few decades. Alcohol and Chlorhexidine are common agents in synthetic mouthwashes, while Tannins and Eugenol are derived traditional herbal extracts. Each agent signifies some unique properties distinguishing them from others. Herbal ingredients are gaining the attention of the profession due to its mild side effects and competitive results. Herbal mouthwashes can be a safer choice in combating OMO, as an alternate to synthetic mouthwashes.

Aggressive, multifocal oral verrucous leukoplakia: proliferative verrucous leukoplakia or not?

BACKGROUND: Some oral verrucal lesions may constitute parts of the clinicopathological spectrum of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL). Because of its idiopathic yet sinister nature, it is possible that PVL may exist in other populations. The aim of this study was to review the clinicopathological features of persistent, multifocal, oral verrucal lesions in Malaysian population. METHODS: Patients with multifocal oral verrucal lesions were selected from surgical and histopathological records. RESULTS: Nine patients of diverse ethnicity with 43 biopsies were reviewed. The mean age at the presentation was 62 years. The most frequent sites affected were gum, sulci, cheek and tongue. Indulgence in risk habits was reported in about 70% of patients. Four cases developed multifocal carcinoma from multifocal leukoplakia. CONCLUSIONS: In retrospect, none of the cases fulfilled the original PVL criteria, although three cases were suggestive of PVL. Nevertheless, these findings do not necessarily preclude the existence of PVL as a clinicopathological entity in Malaysian population.