Green Tea Extract Can Treat Stomatitis: New Research

Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) is a common dental condition that leads to pain and discomfort due to the development of cranker scores on the soft tissues of the mouth cavity. While the deep cell mechanism of this disorder is still unclear, medicine defines a broad spectrum of factors that can cause it, including smoking, infections, nutritional deprivation, etc. Additionally, RAS is a common symptom of some autoimmune diseases and a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation during cancer treatment.

Considering these circumstances, RAS treatment is a widely researched topic – scientists are constantly trying to find the most comfortable and effective solution that can rapidly increase the life quality of patients. Thus, recently, a group of researchers from Tokyo University presented a novel approach – special films made of molecules from green tea extract.

How does it work?

There are two primary components of medicine:

Xyloglucan is a substance that is used as a stabilizer and gelling agent. Additionally, it can form molecular structures similar to mucin networks in the human mouth.
Tea extract contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) molecules with notable antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial features.

Scientists create two sets of film samples made from hydrogel and xerogel mixed with the mentioned substances in different proportions to test how they affect the impact of the film treatment features.

As it turned out, xerogel demonstrates higher adhesion to mucin disks, leading to faster water absorption. Additionally, scientists revealed that higher concentrations of xyloglucan lead to increased time required for maximum EGCG release, ranging from 15 minutes (in minimal concentration) to 60 minutes (with maximum xyloglucan amount).

Why it's important?

The existing effective methodologies of stomatitis treatment have some disadvantages, even the most popular ones:

Mouthwashes – relatively easy to use but, in some cases, may cause nausea or discomfort in the oral cavity
Ointments – have reduced drug retention and may cause stickiness after use.

According to research, the EGCG-based film lacks these unnecessary side effects and can guarantee patients' comfort with notable therapeutic effects. In the following study, scientists plan to develop a film prototype that can be used in clinical trials and become an efficient medical solution.

Read other news about organic solutions for dentistry on our Newsfeed:

Share on