Natural products are being discussed as alternatives to commonly used chemicals in antimicrobial therapy. The study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of propolis against microbial species associated with caries, periodontal disease, and Candida infections. Two commercially available ethanolic extracts of Brazilian and one of European propolis (EEP) were used. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of propolis and controls against eight microbial strains were determined. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) images visualized the effect of propolis on microorganisms. Subsequently, the activity on three different multi-species biofilms (both formation and existing biofilms) was assessed. All MIC values of the Brazilian EEPs were low against the tested oral species (≤0.1 mg/mL–3.13 mg/mL propolis (Candida albicans)). The European EEP had slightly higher MICs than the Brazilian EEPs. The SEM and TEM images suggest an interaction of propolis with the microbial cell wall. The European EEP exhibited the strongest effect on retarding biofilm formation, whereas the Brazilian EEPs were highly active against preformed biofilms (100 mg/mL propolis of both EEPs reduced colony forming unit counts always by more than 6 log10). The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities point to the potential of propolis as an adjunct in oral health care products.

Despite high incidence rates and severe complications, the management of xerostomia lacks clinical guidelines. The aim of this overview was to summarize the clinical experience derived from the last 10 years of treatments and prevention using systemic compounds. Results showed that the cytoprotective drug amifostine, and its antioxidant agents, are the most discussed as preventive agents of xerostomia in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. In the presence of the disease, the pharmacological treatments have been mainly directed to stimulate secretion of the damaged salivary glands, or to counteract a decreased capacity of the antioxidant system, in view of an increasing of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the data demonstrated low ability of the drugs, together with a great number of side effects, which strongly limit their use. Concerning traditional medicine (TM), valid clinical trials are so limited that neither the efficacy nor the absence of interferences to concomitant chemical therapies can be validated. Consequently, the management of xerostomia and its devastating complications remain a very significant void in daily clinical practice.

Background: Despite incidence rates and complications, the clinical management of xerostomia lacks guidelines. Aim: The aim of this overview is to summarize the clinical experience over the past 10 years of treating xerostomia using non-pharmacological interventions. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases, covering publications from 1 January 2013 to 30 January 2023. Results: Topical therapies are the mainstays in cases of longstanding oral dryness. Their aim is to relieve oral discomfort by retaining mouth moisture. Macro-molecular lubricants were largely used in xerostomia due to radiotherapy for Head and Neck cancer (HNC) and xerostomia due to the chronic use of drugs. However, none of them provided stable relief for dry mouth. Traditional Medicine (TM), through the administration of different medicinal herbs and plants, has recently been evaluated against xerostomia in clinical trials. Matricaria chamomilla L., Linum usitatissimum, and Malva sylvestris L. together with Althea digitata Boiss, Licorice root, and Salvia Officinalis are among the most used compounds. They were formulated as water extracts with health benefits that are attributed to the presence of polyphenols. However, the low number of clinical evaluations represents the greatest limitation for validating the efficacy of TM against xerostomia. Regarding acupuncture, it did not show significant effects in the trials in comparison to the control groups. Further, electrostimulation, photo-biomodulation and hyperbaric therapy need more randomized clinical evaluations to effectively demonstrate their ability to relieve dry mouth. Conclusions: No topical treatment has shown stable relief of xerostomia. Consequently, the management of xerostomia and its devastating complications remain a significant void in daily clinical practice.

Pistacia lentiscus L. (PLL) is traditionally used in Sardinian folk medicine for osteoarthritis (OA) and represents a source of polyphenols with potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. To investigate the phenolic profile, the antioxidant potency, the total phenolic content, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory properties of an aqueous leaf extract of PLL to explore its possible relevance in OA. Total phenolic content was assessed by the Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method. The polyphenols were also characterized by a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The antioxidant ability was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The anti-inflammatory activity was examined through COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition while, the cytotoxicity was evaluated in dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOK), human gingival fibroblasts (HGnF), and human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF) by using the WST-1 and the xCELLigence assays. The total phenolic content was 249.78 ± 37.10 mg GAE/g DW, where myricetin glycoside and catechin were the most abundant compounds. The DPPH scavenging capacity showed an IC₅₀ value 32.22 ± 6.43 μg/mL indicating considerable antioxidant potential of the extract. At 10 μg/mL the extract inhibited COX-1 and COX-2 by 92.07% and 71.04%, respectively, with IC₅₀ values of 5.14 μg/mL and 13.87 μg/mL. No relevant cytotoxicity was observed at lower concentrations in the tested cell lines. PLL extract shows high total phenolic content, which together with the DPPH document strong antioxidant potency of the compound. This data together with the marked anti-inflammatory activity, and the limited cytotoxicity, support the potential interest of PLL extract as a natural candidate to counteract OA manifestations.