Efficacy of toothpaste containing Brazilian green propolis extracts with an optimal kaempferide/betuletol ratio for improving oral microbiota: A randomized, controlled, paired crossover study.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Propolis is a resinous substance collected by honeybees from various plant sources and has been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries. Propolis has various biological properties, including antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. The use of propolis in oral health care is attributable to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. However, limited evidence exists on the in vivo efficacy of propolis against periodontal pathogens.
Aim of the Study: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Brazilian green propolis (BGP)-containing toothpaste for improving the oral environment and define its antibacterial compounds.
Materials and Methods: Overall, 48 student volunteers aged 18-40 years (24 females and 24 males) were randomly categorized into the BGP and placebo groups. The BGP and placebo groups received toothpaste with and without BGP, respectively. After a baseline assessment, the plaque index (PI) score, gingival index (GI) score, and proportion of periodontal pathogens on the tongue surface were analyzed at 0, 1, and 2 weeks. Antibacterial compounds were identified using liquid-liquid partitioning, high-performance liquid chromatography purification, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods.
Results: The concentration of BGP in the toothpaste was set at 0.0347 w/v%. Compared with the placebo group, the BGP group demonstrated a reduction in the PI score (p < 0.05) but not in the GI score, as well as a reduction in Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg)/Total bacteria (Tb), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn)/Tb, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa)/Tb (p < 0.05) but not in Streptococcus salivalius/Tb. Effect sizes for Pg, Fn and Aa were 0.360, 0.556, and 0.164, respectively. The antibacterial compounds of the BGP-containing toothpaste included a mixture of kaempferide/betuletol.
Conclusions: We confirmed the efficacy of propolis toothpaste with an optimal kaempferide/betuletol ratio for improving oral microbiota, thereby suggesting that BGP toothpaste is clinically useful in maintaining oral health and preventing periodontal disease.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)