Novel, Alcohol– and Ammonium-Free, Broad Activity Oral Antiseptic

University of Georgia Research Foundation
posted on 01/20/2011

There is continuing interest in the development of novel antimicrobial treatments such as combinations of natural antimicrobials, including generally recognized as safe (GRAS) chemicals to reduce microbial loads on the tissue surfaces of humans and animals. One especially targeted area for the application of antimicrobial preparations is the oral cavity which is typically populated by heterogenous populations of microbial organisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi and viruses. While many of these populations are commensal, they are also frequently the origin of pathological conditions such as, but not limited to, dental caries, gingivitis, periodontal disease among others.
There are ca. 400 microbial species that can be associated with pathogenesis of the oral cavity. Few antimicrobials display activity broad enough to address such large number of pathogens and are, at the same time, safe for human and veterinary use.

Suggested Uses

As a mouth wash.

Additive to existing products in oral health(floss, pastes, adhesives, breath strips) , adding value and competitiveness to these products by enabling broader antimicrobial claims.

In dental clinics as an antiseptic aid.

As an aid to the treatment of gum diseases.

Advantages

Non-toxic and comprised of ingredients already present in food items.

Ingredients are inexpensive and used in small concentrations.

While compatible with alcohol and ammonium and pyridinium salts, it obviates the need for these components.

Active against both Gram-negative and –positive bacteria, yeasts, fungi.

Mild taste and “texture” and also compatible with flavors, fluoride, colorants and other components of mouth washing solutions.

Same pH as the leading brands. Very subtle caramel– , or almond-like odor.

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

UGA and SUNY researchers have developed and tested a novel composition for a mouth wash that has shown remarkable antimicrobial activity. The activity exceeded that of the leading commercial brand by factors between 10X and 1000X. Additionally, activity against viruses has been determined for this wash. The components of the wash are classified as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) by the US FDA and approved for use in the food industry also in the EU. The wash acts as an antibacterial and bacteriostat, reaches a microbial kill rate between 5log CFU and 8.5logCFU after just one minute after application. It has been successfully tested against over 50 pathogens including Bacillus subtilis, B. anthracis, B. cereus, E. coli, Salmonella spp. Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Candida magnoliae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Geotrichum candidum, Mucor hiemalis, Penicillium pubeseus, Penicillium expansum, Paecylomyces variotri, S. mutans, S. gordonii, S. mitis, S. oralis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, to name a few.
The active ingredients of the wash are compatible with ingredients (e.g., colorants, flavors, adhesive gums, fluorides) normally used in toothpastes (except for large amounts of carbonates), tooth floss, and oral antiseptics.
The wash is also highly effective in the fast removal and inactivation of biofilms (plaque) formed by myriad of oral pathogens with maximum activity reached between 60 and 180 seconds of continued application.

This technology was tested in vivo (animals) and in vitro (also using cultures from human saliva). Small scale clinical trials are expected to be conducted/concluded in the very near future.

File Number: 1470

Disease: Dental

Other Information:

Compatible with other components normally used in, for instance, mouth wash solutions, such as eucalyptol, eugenol, menthol, sorbitol, thymol, cinnamaldehyde, methyl salycilate, as well as other coloring and flavoring agents.

PATENT PENDING

IP Protection

License Online

This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Gennaro Gama at University of Georgia Research Foundation for more information.

request more info