The researchers tested hundreds of Chinese herbs and identified that Galla Chinensis has a strong potential to prevent dental caries. Galla Chinensis also possesses substantial antiviral, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal and antioxidant activities, researchers shared.
However, the main active ingredient of Galla Chinensis is unknown, which restricts the application in dentistry. For the study, several Galla Chinensis extracts with different main ingredients were obtained and determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis.
The antibacterial capacity was determined using the polymicrobial biofilms model that can generate reproducible plaque-like biofilms that occur in vivo. The effect of inhibiting tooth demineralisation was tested using an in vitro pH-cycling regime, which mimicked the periodic pH change in mouth. With these new findings, the research team is working with the industry to develop new oral care products.
