Magnolia bark 'can take bite out of bad breath'
London (PTI): Suffering from bad breadth? Just try out a pinch of magnolia bark instead of chewing gums or mints, it will kill the bacteria in your mouth instantly. International researchers have carried out a study and found that magnolia bark eliminates bad breadth germs which occur when bacteria in the mouth break down proteins leading to the production of foul-smelling sulphur compounds. Before coming to the conclusion, the researchers at chewing gum maker Wm Wrigley Jr Co tested magnolia bark's germ killing ability and whether it could be used in a gum or mint, the 'Daily Mail' reported on Friday.
The team found that magnolia bark extract, which has already proven effective against germs that cause ulcers, could also kill halitosis-causing bacteria -- the findings are reported in the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry'.
They found it highly effective against three types of oral microorganisms, killing 99.9 per cent of bad breath bacteria within five minutes. Tests on nine healthy Wrigley employees who chewed mints and gum containing the bark after lunch produced less dramatic but still potent effects. The mints killed off more than 61 per cent of the germs that cause bad breath within 30 minutes -- comparable to some commercial mouthwashes. Mints without the extract were only 3.6 per cent effective.
However, the gum didn't work as well, reducing oral bacteria by 43 per cent within 40 minutes, compared with an 18 per cent reduction in gum with no extract. The extract also helped kill a group of bacteria that causes tooth decay. "Because bacteria are the major cause of breath odour, products containing effective germ-kill compounds will provide a long-lasting reduction of oral malodor," according to lead researcher Minmin Tan.
Sci. & Tech.
