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Background: Oxidative stress is known to be associated with the development of diabetes. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a spice compound in cinnamon that enhances the antioxidant defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS) by activating nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which has been shown to have a cardioprotection effect. However, the relationship between CA and Nrf2 in diabetic vascular complications remains unclear., Methods: Leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice were fed normal chow or diet containing 0.02% CA for 12 weeks. The vascular tone, blood pressure, superoxide level, nitric oxide (NO) production, renal morphology, and function were measured in each group., Results: CA remarkably inhibited ROS generation, preserved NO production, increased phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS), attenuated the upregulation of nitrotyrosine, P22 and P47 in aortas of db/db mice, and apparently ameliorated the elevation of type IV collagen, TGF-β1, P22, and P47 in kidney of db/db mice. Feeding with CA improved endothelium-dependent relaxation of aortas and mesenteric arteries, and alleviated the remodeling of mesenteric arteries in db/db mice. Additionally, dietary CA ameliorated glomerular fibrosis and renal dysfunction in diabetic mice. Nrf2 and its targeted genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) were slightly increased in db/db mice and further upregulated by CA. However, these protective effects of CA were reversed in Nrf2 downregulation mice., Conclusions: A prolonged diet of CA protects against diabetic vascular dysfunction by inhibiting oxidative stress through activating of Nrf2 signaling pathway in db/db mice., (© American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2020. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronical pathological process of the arterial narrows due to the AS plaque formation. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect and the underlying mechanism of Floralozone on experimental atherosclerotic model rats. Experimental atherosclerotic model rats were induced by the right carotid artery balloon injury and intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D3 in rats after 4 weeks high-fat diet. The results exhibited that Floralozone could ameliorate vascular injury and vasorelaxation of descending aortas and increase the superoxide dismutase activity and the expression of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) 1 and reduce the intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 level, and the malondialdehyde activity in experimental atherosclerotic rats. However, Fingolimod, an S1P1 inhibitor, could reverse these Floralozone effects in experimental atherosclerotic rats. Our results indicated that Floralozone could inhibit the atherosclerotic plaque formation and improves arterial stenosis and reduces endothelial dysfunction in experimental atherosclerotic rats, which might be involved with S1P1 enhancement., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether maltol could protect from hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in vivo by inhibition of apoptosis and inflammatory responses. In this work, maltol was administered at a level of 100 mg/kg for 15 days prior to exposure to a single injection of CCl₄ (0.25%, i.p.). The results clearly indicated that the intrapulmonary injection of CCl₄ resulted in a sharp increase in serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), irreducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels. Histopathological examination demonstrated severe hepatocyte necrosis and the destruction of architecture in liver lesions. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis suggested an accumulation of iNOS, NF-κB, IL-1β and TNF-α expression. Maltol, when administered to mice for 15 days, can significantly improve these deleterious changes. In addition, TUNEL and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that a liver cell nucleus of a model group diffused uniform fluorescence following CCl₄ injection. Maltol pretreatment groups did not show significant cell nuclear condensation and fragmentation, indicating that maltol inhibited CCl₄-induced cell apoptosis. By evaluating the liver catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and further using a single agent to evaluate the oxidative stress in CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity by immunofluorescence staining, maltol dramatically attenuated the reduction levels of hepatic CAT, GSH and SOD, and the over-expression levels of CYP2E1 and HO-1. In the mouse model of CCl₄-induced liver injury, we have demonstrated that the inflammatory responses were inhibited, the serum levels of ALT and AST were reduced, cell apoptosis was suppressed, and liver injury caused by CCl₄ was alleviated by maltol, demonstrating that maltol may be an efficient hepatoprotective agent.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of masking the odor of inhalational agents using fruit flavors on the anxiety behavior and compliance of children for inhalational induction., Methods: A prospective randomized double blind, placebo controlled study was conducted on 60 unpremedicated children in the age group of 4-12 y. Thirty children received anesthetic masks smeared with a flavor of child's choice while the other 30 children were induced using masks without flavor. Anxiety was assessed using modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) in the pre-op room and during inhalational induction. Mask acceptance was graded by Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC). The cost-effectiveness of flavored anesthetic masks was compared to that of commercially available pre-scented masks., Results: The baseline anxiety in the two groups was comparable. The number of children demonstrating high levels of anxiety at anesthetic induction was similar in flavored and non-flavored mask groups (p 0.45). The compliance to mask induction was also equally good (p 0.99). The authors found significant difference in the cost of flavored mask (INR 56.45 per mask) as compared to commercially available pre-scented masks (INR 660 per mask)., Conclusions: The authors observed a placebo effect that reduced the pre-op anxiety in the control group which probably made the quality of induction equivalent with flavored and non-flavored masks. Therefore, using a flavored anesthetic mask is cost-effective than using a commercially available pre-scented mask.

Antiobesity effects of bamboo salt (BS) were evaluated compared with those of purified salt and solar salt by oral administration in a diet-induced obesity model using C57BL/6 mice. Compared with other salts, BS, especially nine times baked BS (BS-9×), significantly reduced body weight, food efficiency ratio, and weights of epididymal adipose tissue and liver in high-fat diet-fed mice. Furthermore, BS suppressed the expression of adipogenic factors, such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c). Therefore, BS may suppress obesity by downregulating adipogenesis.

Methyl cinnamate (MC) is a safe flavoring agent useful to food industry. Although chemically analog to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, there is little information regarding its biological actions. Here, we aimed at assessing the MC effects on gastrointestinal contractility and the putative involvement of tyrosine kinase in the mediation of these effects. Isometric contractions were recorded in rat isolated strips from stomach, duodenum and colon segments. In gastric strips, MC (3-3000 µM) showed antispasmodic effects against carbachol-induced contractions, which remained unchanged by either l-NAME or tetraethylammonium pretreatment and occurred with potency similar to that obtained against contractions evoked by potassium or U-46619. In colon strips, MC was four times more potent than in gastric ones. MC and the positive control genistein inhibited phasic contractions induced by acetylcholine in Ca2+-free medium, an effect fully prevented by sodium orthovanadate. Both MC and genistein decreased the spontaneous contractions of duodenal strips and shortened the time necessary for gastric fundic tissues to reach 50% of maximal relaxation. In freshly isolated colon myocytes, MC decreased the basal levels of cytoplasmic Ca2+, but not the potassium-elicited cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevation. Colon strips obtained from rats subjected to intracolonic acetic acid instillation showed reduced contractility to potassium, which was partially recovered in MC-treated rats. Inhibitory effect of nifedipine against cholinergic contractions, blunted in acetic acid-induced colitis, was also recovered in MC-treated rats. In conclusion, MC inhibited the gastrointestinal contractility with a probable involvement of tyrosine kinase pathways. In vivo, it was effective to prevent the deleterious effects of colitis resulting from acetic acid injury., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Geraniol is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol commonly used as a flavoring agent. The present study was undertaken to investigate antiulcerogenic effects of geraniol and to determine the possible mechanisms involved in this action. In the model of the ethanol-induced ulcer, treatment of rats with geraniol by oral route significantly inhibited gastric lesions by 70 % (7.50 mg/kg) to 99 % (200 mg/kg). Analysis of the gastric tissue of rats treated with geraniol (7.50 mg/kg) revealed that total glutathione content levels (GSH) increased and levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) decreased in the gastric mucosa. Oral treatment with geraniol significantly decreased the number of ulcerative lesions induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury by 71 % and the duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine by 68 %. The action of geraniol was mediated by the activation of defensive mucosa-protective factors such as the nitric oxide (NO) pathway, endogenous prostaglandins, increased mucus production, increased sulfhydryl compounds, antioxidant properties and the stimulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release through the activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV). The multifaceted gastroprotective mechanisms of geraniol represent a promising option for the treatment of gastric and duodenal mucosa injury.

Background: Treatment for head and neck cancer can reduce peripheral sensory input and impair oropharyngeal swallow. This study examined the effect of enhanced bolus flavor on liquid swallows in these patients., Methods: Fifty-one patients treated for head and neck cancer with chemoradiation or surgery and 64 healthy adult control subjects served as subjects. All were randomized to receive sour, sweet, or salty bolus flavor. Patients were evaluated at 7-10 days, 1 month, and 3 months after completion of tumor treatment. Control subjects received 1 assessment., Results: All bolus flavors affected oropharyngeal swallow; sour flavor significantly shortened pharyngeal transit time across all evaluations., Conclusions: Sour flavor influenced the swallow of patients treated for head and neck cancer, as well as that of control subjects in a manner similar to those with neurologic impairment observed in an earlier study. Sour flavor may improve the speed of pharyngeal transit regardless of whether a patient has suffered peripheral or central sensory damage., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Plant-based whole foods provide thousands of bioactive metabolites to the human diet that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. β-Caryophyllene (CAR) is a common constituent of the essential oil of numerous plants, vegetables, fruits and medicinal herbs, and has been used as a flavouring agent since the 1930 s. Here, we report the antioxidant activity of CAR, its protective effect on liver fibrosis and its inhibitory capacity on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. CAR was tested for the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and as a free radical scavenger. CAR had higher inhibitory capacity on lipid peroxidation than probucol, α-humulene and α-tocopherol. Also, CAR showed high scavenging activities against hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion. The activity of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme that actively participates in fibrogenesis, was significantly inhibited by CAR. Carbon tetrachloride-treated rats received CAR at 2, 20 and 200 mg/kg. CAR significantly improved liver structure, and reduced fibrosis and the expression of Col1a1, Tgfb1 and Timp1 genes. Oxidative stress was used to establish a model of HSC activation with overproduction of extracellular matrix proteins. CAR (1 and 10 μm) increased cell viability and significantly reduced the expression of fibrotic marker genes. CAR, a sesquiterpene present in numerous plants and foods, is as a natural antioxidant that reduces carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver fibrosis and inhibits hepatic cell activation.

Unlabelled: A previously characterized rice hull smoke extract (RHSE) was tested for bactericidal activity against Salmonella Typhimurium using the disc-diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of RHSE was 0.822% (v/v). The in vivo antibacterial activity of RHSE (1.0%, v/v) was also examined in a Salmonella-infected Balb/c mouse model. Mice infected with a sublethal dose of the pathogens were administered intraperitoneally a 1.0% solution of RHSE at four 12-h intervals during the 48-h experimental period. The results showed that RHSE inhibited bacterial growth by 59.4%, 51.4%, 39.6%, and 28.3% compared to 78.7%, 64.6%, 59.2%, and 43.2% inhibition with the medicinal antibiotic vancomycin (20 mg/mL). By contrast, 4 consecutive administrations at 12-h intervals elicited the most effective antibacterial effect of 75.0% and 85.5% growth reduction of the bacteria by RHSE and vancomycin, respectively. The combination of RHSE and vancomycin acted synergistically against the pathogen. The inclusion of RHSE (1.0% v/w) as part of a standard mouse diet fed for 2 wk decreased mortality of 10 mice infected with lethal doses of the Salmonella. Photomicrographs of histological changes in liver tissues show that RHSE also protected the liver against Salmonella-induced pathological necrosis lesions. These beneficial results suggest that the RHSE has the potential to complement wood-derived smokes as antimicrobial flavor formulations for application to human foods and animal feeds., Practical Application: The new antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory rice hull derived liquid smoke has the potential to complement widely used wood-derived liquid smokes as an antimicrobial flavor and health-promoting formulation for application to foods., (Journal of Food Science © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists® No claim to US original government works.)

Many smokers relapse during cessation attempts due to increases in negative affect. Previous research has shown that chewing confectionary chewing gum appears to lessen the severity of acute nicotine withdrawal symptoms and help individuals who are trying to reduce smoking in part due to the flavor of the gum chewed. The current study compared the effects of three flavored gums to a No Gum Control during 48-hour cessation periods for young dependent smokers. Forty-nine smokers participated in three experimental conditions (peppermint, vanilla, and baked apple cardamom flavored gum) as well as a No Gum Control across four weeks while abstaining from smoking for 48-hours each week. Compared to the No Gum Control, participants in the Gum conditions reported lower levels of anxiety, dysphoria, and tension. Vanilla and baked apple cardamom flavored gum resulted in lower levels of negative affect while peppermint flavored gum was not different from the No Gum Control. These findings indicate that some flavors of gum are effective in reducing the negative affect associated with nicotine withdrawal and may serve as a valuable tool in helping smokers quit., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) has revolutionized the management of acute diarrhea. The implementation of the standard World Health Organization ORS (WHO-ORS) has resulted in decreased mortality associated with acute diarrheal illnesses in children, although in general stool volume and diarrhea durations are not reduced. Decreased morbidity and mortality have occurred because of improved hydration status. Decreased morbidity has also been described in adults who used this therapy. Various modifications to the standard ORS have been derived. These modifications have included hypo-osmolar or hyperosmolar solutions, use of rice-based ORS, zinc supplementation, and the use of amino acids, including glycine, alanine, and glutamine. Some of these variations have been successful, some have not, and others are still under investigation. ORS has been used for travelers' diarrhea and to decrease intravenous (IV) fluid requirements in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) who require parenteral nutrition (PN). This paper reviews the standard WHO-ORS and its mechanism of action, followed by more contemporary reduced osmolarity ORS and rice-based ORS in non-cholera diarrhea. Various modifications to improve ORS are also discussed.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a flavor-containing dentifrice on the formation of volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) in morning bad breath. A two-step, blinded, crossover, randomized study was carried out in 50 dental students with a healthy periodontium divided into two experimental groups: flavor-containing dentifrice (test) and non-flavor-containing dentifrice (control). The volunteers received the designated dentifrice and a new toothbrush for a 3 X/day brushing regimen for 2 periods of 30 days. A seven-day washout interval was used between the periods. The assessed parameters were: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), organoleptic breath scores (ORG), VSC levels (as measured by a portable sulphide monitor) before (H1) and after (H2) cleaning of the tongue, tongue coating (TC) wet weight and BANA test from TC samples. The intra-group analysis showed a decrease in ORG, from 3 to 2, after 30 days for the test group (p < 0.05). The inter-group analysis showed lower values in ORG, H1 and H2 for the test group (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the amount of TC between groups and the presence of flavor also did not interfere in the BANA results between groups (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that a flavor-containing dentifrice seems to prevent VSCs formation in morning bad breath regardless of the amount of TC in periodontally healthy subjects.

Background: Abnormalities in taste and smell functioning occur with elevated frequency in both older adults and patients with cancer. With the predicted increase in both of these populations in the coming decades, it is imperative to evaluate potential interventions that are designed to help older cancer patients compensate for the additive burden of this disease and its treatment on age-related taste and smell losses., Objective: The purpose of the current study was to determine if providing instruction and products for flavor enhancement of foods to elderly cancer patients in addition to nutritional information would improve their nutritional status, and, by extension, functional and immune status as well as quality of life., Design: One hundred and seven subjects enrolled in the study. Fifty-four subjects were in the experimental group that received flavor enhancement plus nutritional information; fifty-three control subjects received only nutritional information. Subjects were evaluated 1 month, 3 months, and 8 months after beginning chemotherapy. At every session, subjects completed taste and smell assessments as well as questionnaires related to nutritional status, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Blood samples were also obtained to determine immune parameters., Results: At the eight-month time point, experimental subjects had better scores on the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) and the physical function assessment of the quality of life questionnaire. Also at eight months, self-reported taste and smell perception for experimental subjects was better than that of controls as well as better than at earlier time points. Tests that assessed quantity and quality of food intake, as well as a number of immune parameters declined over time and did not differ significantly between groups., Conclusion: The combination of flavor enhancement, chemosensory education, and nutritional information for elderly cancer patients improved their nutritional assessment on the MNA and physical function over time. On the whole, experimental subjects perceived themselves to be better functioning at eight months than did their control counterparts.

Introduction: Cinnamaldehyde (CA) has been reported to inhibit in vitro aggregation in human and rabbit platelets; however, little is known about the antithrombotic activities of CA in vivo., Materials and Methods: We tested the effects of CA on collagen- or thrombin-induced aggregation of rat platelets in vitro. Hemorrhage and coagulation times of mice treated with CA by the tail-cutting or slide method were measured. We also tested the life-saving effects of CA on experimental models of thrombosis in mice and rats. The anti-platelet effects of CA were examined in rats., Results: CA inhibited collagen- and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. In mice, CA administration (250, 500 mg/kg orally and 50, 100 mg/kg i.p.) markedly prolonged hemorrhage and coagulation times and effectively reduced the mortality rate of collagen-epinephrine-induced acute pulmonary thromboembolism. In an arteriovenous shunt thrombosis rat model, the CA administration (250, 500 mg/kg orally and 50, 100 mg/kg i.p.) for 10 days dose-dependently decreased thrombus weight. Administration of CA also significantly inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation in the rat platelet-rich plasma (PRP)., Conclusions: The results demonstrate that CA may be a promising antithrombotic agent, and its antithrombotic activity may be due to anti-platelet aggregation activity in vitro and in vivo.

Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to compare the use of plain ice, flavoured ice and standard care, to evaluate the effect on mucositis and to determine patients' perceptions of the two forms of oral cryotherapy., Background: Despite evidence that oral cryotherapy is useful in preventing mucositis in patients receiving 5-fluorouracil, concerns have been expressed about its clinical utility, due to potential side effects and negative perceptions., Design: A randomized, controlled, crossover trial was conducted in the outpatient chemotherapy department of an acute care teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Patients were randomized to receive each of three interventions across three cycles of chemotherapy: standard care alone; standard care plus plain ice; and standard care plus flavoured ice., Methods: Oral mucositis was assessed by nurses prior to each of the three chemotherapy cycles and 15 days after each intervention. Two assessment tools were used, the Oral Assessment Guide, and the Western Consortium Cancer Nursing Research Scale. Participants completed a questionnaire to determine their comfort and satisfaction with oral cryotherapy, as well as factors affecting compliance., Results: Findings from 67 patients revealed that when participants used standard care alone, they were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of mucositis than when they used either plain or flavoured ice. Odds ratios were at least threefold higher for standard care alone, varying according to the instrument used. The two main concerns reported were the taste of flavoured ice and the time required to complete the cryotherapy interventions. Side effects such as nausea, sensitivity and headache were reported more frequently for flavoured ice (n = 11) compared with plain ice (n = 5) and standard care (n = 1)., Conclusions: Both forms of oral cryotherapy were effective in reducing the severity of oral mucositis after chemotherapy and were more effective than standard care alone. Flavoured ice was associated with the highest frequency of side effects., Relevance to Clinical Practice: The benefits of cryotherapy appear to outweigh the problems in this sample of patients. The intervention should be tailored to individual patients, based on preferences for plain versus flavoured ice and small chips vs. larger blocks. Unsweetened frozen fruit juices should be evaluated. Time constraints could be addressed by providing transportable containers of ice.

Objective: Oral care products deliver breath freshening primarily via mechano-chemical cleaning or by antimicrobial active systems. Dental flavours provide taste benefits, and freshen breath mainly by sensorial masking. We aimed to determine whether flavours could deliver breath freshening in products by inhibiting bacterial volatile sulphide compound (VSC) production., Subjects and Methods: Flavour materials were screened for inhibition of hydrogen sulphide formation by Klebsiella pneumoniae in vitro, grouped by efficacy, and data provided to flavourists. Flavours were formulated to maximize the content of VSC-effective ingredients and re-screened to confirm performance. Extensive, iterative testing of flavours identified reliable creative rules to deliver efficient inhibition of H2S generation. Breath-freshening flavours in whole products were then tested in-house in a 'breath freshness panel'., Main Outcome Measures: Malodour of panellists (not preselected for malodour score) was scored before and after product use, on the 'Rosenberg' 0-5 scale, together with residual flavour score, by extensively trained judges. Products were tested in double-blind, crossover studies, and results analysed using ANOVA., Results and Conclusions: Products flavoured using these rules delivered significantly greater breath freshening at 2 h than control products, and equivalent benefits to products containing 0.1% (w/w) triclosan or 0.2% (w/w) zinc sulphate.

Purpose: Tooth-brushing and fluoride dentifrice use are the primary oral health activities for young children. Fluoridated dentifrice has had an important impact on the reduction in children's caries lesion rates, but no studies have focused on patterns of use at multiple time points early in life. The purpose of this paper is to describe tooth-brushing and fluoride dentifrice use in a cohort of children from ages 6 to 60 months., Methods: The data are from the Iowa Fluoride Study, a longitudinal investigation of fluoride intake from birth. Questionnaires assessed tooth-brushing patterns and fluoride dentifrice use at age 6 months, and at 3-, 4-, or 6-month intervals thereafter., Results: At 6 months of age, 28% of the children's teeth were brushed or cleaned, and 3% of these used fluoridated dentifrice, increasing to 95% at 20 months (83% of them with fluoridated dentifrice). Use of dentifrice flavored for children increased from 40% of those brushing at 9 months to 71% at 60 months. From 9 to 32 months, about 55% of the children were using approximately the recommended amount of dentifrice. However, the percentage using more than recommended increased from 12% at 9 months to 64% at 60 months. Mothers placed the dentifrice on the toothbrush 85% of the time at 9 months, 81% at 20 months, 49% at 36 months, and 31% at 60 months., Conclusions: By age 2, almost all children were brushing with fluoridated dentifrice, but less than half brushed twice a day, even at age 5. Mothers played the most important role in the children's home care habits.

In cancer patients, as in the general population, medication is the most common cause of xerostomia. In general, saliva flow in these patients can be stimulated by mechanical or pharmacological stimulation of the salivary glands. Painful damaged oral mucosa can be treated by softening, lubricating mouthwashes or gels. A specific group of patients are those receiving radiotherapy for malignant tumours in the head and neck region. This treatment is inevitably associated with damages to the oral tissues, including the salivary glands, resulting in salivary gland hypofunction. When residual secretory capacity is present, it is advisable to stimulate the salivary glands by mechanical or gustatory stimuli regularly in these patients as supportive oral care. Alternatively, salivary flow can be stimulated by the use of cholinergic pharmaceutical preparations, such as pilocarpine or cevimeline. After the radiation therapy is ended, a dental check-up should be done every 3 months to allow control of any incipient oral inflammation and dental decay. For daily use, a special dentifrice (e.g. children's toothpaste) is recommended, since the taste of a regular dentifrice may be too strong for these patients. Nocturnal oral dryness can be alleviated by spraying the oral surfaces with water, or by applying a small amount of dentifrice on the dental smooth surfaces. When stimulation of salivary secretion fails, patients can be given palliative oral care in the form of application of mouthwashes and saliva substitutes. The daily use of a mouthwash, e.g. Biotène, Oral Balance or Zendium, or one of the saliva substitutes is indicated. Different types of saliva substitutes are now commercially available, containing different polymers as thickening agents, e.g. carboxymethylcellulose (Oralube and Glandosane), polyacrylic acid, and xanthan gum (Xialine). Recent developments, which are, however, still in the experimental stage, are bio-active saliva substitutes and mouthwashes containing antimicrobial peptides to protect the oral tissues against microbial colonization and to suppress and to cure mucosal and gingival inflammation.

The aim of the present study was to describe a 4-day no oral hygiene model to assess the pattern of de novo plaque formation and to use this model to appraise the potential of some mouthwash preparations to retard or inhibit plaque formation in the human dentition. 10 subjects were recruited for the trial. During a preparatory period, the participants were exposed to repeated professional plaque control and given oral hygiene instruction to eliminate signs of gingivitis. At the end of the preparatory period, each participant received a final professional tooth cleaning and was subsequently told to abstain from mechanical plaque control efforts for the next 4 days. They were asked to rinse twice daily for 60 s with 10 ml varying test solutions. On Day 4, the volunteers were exposed to a new clinical examination and the presence and amount of plaque were examined by the use of the plaque index system (P1I). The participants were subsequently given a professional tooth cleaning and asked to exercise proper self performed plaque control during the next 10 days. A new test period was then initiated. 6 different mouthwash preparations were tested in each subject namely, (1) placebo (a negative control rinse), (2) Veadent mouthrinse, (3) Listerine mouthrinse, (4) 0.06% triclosan + polyvinyl phosphonic acid (PVPA), (5) 0.06% triclosan + phenolic flavor and (6) 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (a positive control rinse). The results from the study revealed that the mean P1I values for individuals, groups of teeth and tooth surfaces provide an adequate but gross overall estimation of the potential of a given mouthrinse to retard/inhibit plaque build up. More detailed information on the effects of the test rinses could be obtained by data describing the % distribution of different P1I score categories; a high frequency of score 0 describes the potential of a mouthrinse to maintain tooth surfaces free from plaque while a low frequency of score 2/3 describes the ability of a treatment to retard/prevent gross plaque formation. The plaque pattern displays finally allowed assessment of the magnitude of plaque prevention, in comparison to the positive and negative controls, that could be achieved by a given compound in various parts and surfaces of the dentition. In this model, all test rinses (i) were significantly more effective than the placebo rinse in retarding de novo plaque build up and (ii) had a minor effects on plaque build up in the maxillary molars and at the approximal surfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The responses of young children to Denatonium Benzoate (Bitrex) were observed, in order to assess the potential of this bittering agent in the prevention of accidental poisoning. Thirty-three children aged 17-36 months were offered orange juice containing Bitrex (in a concentration of 10 parts per million). Of the 30 children who took some of this juice, only seven were willing to take more than 10 gm. A variety of negative verbal and non-verbal responses were noted. It is suggested that the highly unpalatable nature of Bitrex makes this compound a useful additive that could well prevent accidental poisoning from household products of mild to moderate toxicity.

An experimental study was designed for assessement of whether two recently marketed flavored chlorhexidine mouthrinses, Hibitane Dental (ICI) and Plak-Out (Hawe), have a good plaque-inhibiting effect as the 0.2% aqueous solution of chlorhexidine gluconate. Thirteen dental students used in different sequences each one of the three rinses fro 1 week by rinsing twice daily for 1 min. During the rinsing periods no other oral hygiene measures were allowed. Between two rinsing periods the subjects cleaned their teeth mechanically for 1 week. At the start of each test and control period, the teeth were professionally cleaned with rubber cups and an abrasive paste. At the end of the five 1-week periods the mesial, lingual and facial aspects of the teeth in the right halves of the jaws of each participant were scored for the Plaque Index by the same investigator. After the mechanical cleaning, higher PII scores were recorded than after the chlorhexidine rinses. No difference could be observed among the PII scores after rinsing with the aqueous or the two flavored chlorhexidine solutions.