Compounds
in licorice root may help fight tooth decay
Compounds isolated from licorice root may help prevent cavities, according to researchers
at the University of California, Los Angeles. In test tube studies, the scientists showed
that an extract from a plant root that is used to make licorice candy and other products
contains at least two compounds that appear to be potent inhibitors of Streptococcus
mutans, a major cause of dental caries. Their study is scheduled to appear in the Feb. 24
print version of the Journal of Natural Products, a monthly peer-reviewed joint
publication of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy. More studies are needed before it is proven that
the compounds effectively fight cavities in humans, caution Qing-Yi Lu, Ph.D., a chemist
at UCLA’s School of Medicine, and Wenyuan Shi, Ph.D, a microbiologist at UCLA’s
School of Dentistry. If further studies show promise, the licorice compounds could
eventually be used as cavity-fighting components in mouthwash or toothpaste, they say.
Licorice has been an important herb in
Chinese medicine for many years and is now being rediscovered by Western medicine as a
rich source of potentially beneficial compounds. In addition to being used as flavoring
and sweetening agents in candy, tobaccos and beverages, compounds derived from licorice
root have been shown to help fight inflammation, viruses, ulcers and even cancer,
according to the researchers.
The American Chemical Society – the
world’s largest scientific society – is a nonprofit organization chartered by
the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research
through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its
main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Source: www.acs.org |
