Background and Objectives: Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease in which gradual destruction of tissues around teeth is caused by plaque formed by pathogenic bacteria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of 75% ethanol extract of Colocasia antiquorum var. esculenta (CA) as a prophylactic and improvement agent for periodontal disease in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial efficacy of CA against Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis, ATCC 33277) was evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) test, and cytotoxicity was confirmed by CCK-8 assay. For the in vivo study, P. gingivalis was applied by oral gavage to BALB/c mice. Forty-two days after the first inoculation of P. gingivalis, intraoral swabs were taken for microbiome analysis, and the mice were sacrificed to evaluate the alveolar bone loss. Results: The MIC of CA against P. gingivalis was 31.3 μg/mL, the MBC was 62.5 μg/mL, with no cytotoxicity. The diversity of the oral microbiome decreased in the positive control group, while those of the VA (varnish) and VCA (varnish added with CA) groups increased as much as in the negative control group, although the alveolar bone loss was not induced in the mouse model. Conclusions: CA showed antibacterial effects in vitro, and the VA and VCA groups exhibited increased diversity in the oral microbiome, suggesting that CA has potential for improving periodontal disease.

Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease, causes alveolar bone loss. Current treatments show limitations in achieving dual antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. We evaluated an emodin-loaded thermoresponsive hydrogel as a local drug delivery system for periodontitis treatment. Emodin itself demonstrated antibacterial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis, with minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations of 50 μM. It also suppressed mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6] in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The hydrogel, formulated with poloxamers and carboxymethylcellulose, remained in a liquid state at room temperature and formed a gel at 34 °C, providing sustained drug release for 96 h and demonstrating biocompatibility with human periodontal ligament stem cells while exhibiting antibacterial activity against P. gingivalis. In a rat model of periodontitis, the hydrogel significantly reduced alveolar bone loss and inflammatory responses, as confirmed by micro-computed tomography and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction of gingival tissue. The dual antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of emodin, combined with its thermoresponsive delivery system, provide advantages over conventional treatments by maintaining therapeutic concentrations in the periodontal pocket while minimizing systemic exposure. This shows the potential of emodin-loaded thermoresponsive hydrogels as effective local delivery systems for periodontitis treatment.

Background and Objective: There is increasing interest in preventing periodontitis using natural products. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Colocasia antiquorum var. esculenta (CA) varnish on the oral microbiome and alveolar bone loss in a mouse periodontitis model. Materials and Methods: Antibacterial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) ATCC 53978 and cell cytotoxicity using CCK-8 on L929 cells were measured. Balb/c mice were assigned into five groups (negative control, positive control, CA in drinking water, varnish, and CA varnish). P. gingivalis was administered to the mice by oral gavage three times. After sacrifice, the oral microbiome and the levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were analyzed. Alveolar bone loss was measured using micro-computed tomography. Results: CA extract showed an antibacterial effect against P. gingivalis (p < 0.05) and showed no cytotoxicity at that concentration (p > 0.05). Although alpha diversity of the oral microbiome did not statistically differ between the groups (p > 0.05), the relative abundance of dominant bacteria tended to be different between the groups. The inflammatory cytokine IL-1β was reduced in the CA varnish group (p < 0.05), and no difference was observed in MMP-9 expression and alveolar bone loss (p > 0.05). Conclusions: CA varnish did not affect the overall microflora and exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting that it is possibility a suitable candidate for improving periodontitis.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a bakuchiol-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel (BTH) as a novel local drug delivery system for the management of periodontitis. Bakuchiol, a natural phenolic compound extracted from Psoralea corylifolia, was incorporated into a hydrogel composed of poloxamers and carboxymethylcellulose. The gelation behavior, physicochemical properties, and drug release profile were analyzed. Additionally, antibacterial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis was assessed. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in human gingival fibroblasts and RAW 264.7 cells. Anti-inflammatory effects were determined by measuring proinflammatory cytokine expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, alveolar bone loss, cytokine expression, and histological findings were assessed in a rat model of ligature-induced periodontitis. BTH demonstrated sol–gel transition at body temperature, with sustained drug release over 15 days. Moreover, it exhibited significant antibacterial activity against P. gingivalis and was non-cytotoxic at an extract concentration of 6.25%. In vitro, it significantly downregulated inflammatory cytokines in activated macrophages. In vivo, BTH application reduced alveolar bone loss and interleukin-1β expression in gingival tissues. Histological analysis confirmed decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and alveolar bone destruction. Thus, BTH demonstrated both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, exhibiting potential as a promising therapeutic strategy for localized periodontal treatment.

Background and Objectives:Asplenium incisum, a natural plant, is known to possess numerous pharmacological and biochemical properties. However, the inhibitory effect of A. incisum against Porphyromonas gingivalis and other factors related to periodontal disease have not yet been demonstrated. This study aimed to investigate the potential of A. incisum extract as a phytotherapeutic candidate for improving periodontal diseases by assessing its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoclastogenic activities. Materials and Methods: The inhibition of proliferation of P. gingivalis by A. incisum and the sustainability of its antibacterial activity were evaluated in this study. The production of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and nitric oxide (NO) from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To identify the anti-osteoclastogenic activity, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and TRAP activity analyses were performed on bone marrow macrophages. Results: The proliferation of P. gingivalis was significantly inhibited by A. incisum (p < 0.001), and the antibacterial activity was sustained for up to 3 days. A. incisum showed anti-inflammatory activities by significantly decreasing the release of TNF-α, IL-6 (p < 0.05), and NO (p < 0.01). In addition, A. incisum significantly suppressed TRAP-positive cells and TRAP activity (at 30 μg/mL, p < 0.01) without causing any cytotoxicity (p > 0.05). Conclusions:A. incisum showed antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoclastogenic activities, suggesting it has strong therapeutic potential against periodontal diseases.

Several calcium silicate cement (CSC) types with improved handling properties have been developed lately for root-end filling applications. While sealing ability is important, a high biocompatibility and antimicrobial effects are critical. This study aimed to conduct a comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy and sustained antibacterial effectiveness against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) of commercially available CSCs mixed with distilled water (DW) and chlorhexidine (CHX). Various products, viz., ProRoot mixed with DW (PRW) or with CHX (PRC), Endocem mixed with DW (EW) or with CHX (EC), and Endocem premixed (EP) syringe type, were used. While antibacterial activity against E. faecalis was evaluated using a direct contact method, the specimens were stored in a shaking incubator for 30 d for antibacterial sustainability. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using a cell counting kit-8 assay in human periodontal ligament stem cells. The antibacterial activities of EP, EW, and EC were greater than those of PRC and PRW (p < 0.05). The antibacterial sustainability of EP was the highest without cytotoxicity for up to 30 days (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the pre-mixed injectable type EP was most effective in terms of antibacterial activity and sustained antibacterial effectiveness without cytotoxicity.