J agr food Chem: blueberry extract can help control gingivitis and reduce the use of antibiotics

Gingival diseases are common in adults When plaque or biofilm forms on teeth, it is easy to cause gingivitis If the disease progresses, it will eventually lead to the occurrence of periodontitis In case of severe periodontitis, antibiotics are usually used Now scientists have found that wild blueberry extract can inhibit the formation of dental plaque The results, published in the Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, may bring new methods for the treatment of periodontitis and reduce the use of antibiotics The incidence rate of gingivitis is very high Many people suffer from gingivitis or gingivitis of varying degrees When gums are inflamed, they will show gums redness, swelling and bleeding If they allow themselves, the gingivitis will eventually develop into periodontitis Plaque calcification can form calculus, infection can spread to subgingiva and destroy periodontal supporting tissue Once periodontitis is formed, it can not be cured, but can only control its development The basic treatment of periodontitis mainly includes cleaning and scraping to remove plaque and calculus, sometimes it also needs to be assisted by antibiotics But recently, researchers have begun to look for natural antibacterial compounds to treat gum disease Daniel Grenier and colleagues explored whether blueberry polyphenols (anti foodborne pathogens) inhibit Fusobacterium nucleatum (a major pathogen of periodontitis) The researchers tested the antibacterial effect of wild blueberry extract, Vaccinium angustifolium AIT, on Fusobacterium nucleatum The results showed that the polyphenol rich extract could inhibit the growth of Fusobacterium nucleatum and the formation of plaque biofilm In addition, the extract can block a molecular pathway in the inflammatory response, which is a key part in the process of gum disease Researchers say they are developing a device to slowly release the extract after patients receive deep cleaning to help treat periodontitis.