Testing a Low Molecular Mass Fraction of a Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) Extract Formulated as an Oral Rinse in a Cohort of Volunteers

Abstract

Although foods are considered enhancing factors for dental caries and periodontitis, laboratory researches indicate that several foods and beverages contain components endowed with antimicrobial and antiplaque activities. A low molecular mass (LMM) fraction of an aqueous mushroom extract has been found to exert these activities in in vitro experiments against potential oral pathogens. We therefore conducted a clinical trial in which we tested an LMM fraction of shiitake mushroom extract formulated in a mouthrinse in 30 young volunteers, comparing the results with those obtained in two identical cohorts, one of which received water (placebo) and the other Listerine. Plaque index, gingival index and bacterial counts in plaque samples were determined in all volunteers over the 11 days of the clinical trial. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were obtained for the plaque index on day 12 in subjects treated with mushroom versus placebo, while for the gingival index significant differences were found for both mushroom versus placebo and mushroom versus Listerine. Decreases in total bacterial counts and in counts of specific oral pathogens were observed for both mushroom extract and Listerine in comparison with placebo. The data suggest that a mushroom extract may prove beneficial in controlling dental caries and/or gingivitis/periodontitis.

A Review on Antimicrobial Activity of Mushroom (Basidiomycetes) Extracts and Isolated Compounds

“…Extracts from Lentinus edodes showed a strong bactericidal effect against Prevotella intermedia, which is associated with gingivitis. This mushroom was capable of significantly reducing dental plaque deposition [53,54,67,68].…”

“…Furthermore, Streptococcus pyogenes was very sensitive to the Lentinus edodes chloroform extract [52]. The ability of L. edodes extracts to improve oral health has also been extensively researched, since it showed a strong bactericidal effect upon Streptococcus mutans, which is strongly implicated in dental caries and tooth decay [53,54]. The mycelium of Leucopaxillus giganteus (methanolic extract) presented antimicrobial capacity, inhibiting only gram-positive bacteria and, in decreasing order, Staphylococcus aureus > Bacillus cereus > Bacillus subtilis [55].…”

Effects of mushroom and chicory extracts on the shape, physiology and proteome of the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans

“…Furthermore, attempts to formulate active natural compounds as anticaries and/or antigingivitis oral rinses for daily oral hygiene have shown encouraging results, although a limited number of pilot clinical trials have been performed [5,6,18-22]. Among the numerous foods and drinks tested, the LMM fraction of both shiitake mushroom and red chicory aqueous extract has been previously demonstrated to be endowed of several antimicrobial features that render them of special interest as components of products for daily oral hygiene [8-10,21,22]. In this report we have evaluated the possible mode of action of these extracts on growth, morphology and physiology of S .…”

The inhibitory effect of a fermented papaya preparation on growth, hydrophobicity, and acid production of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, and Lactobacillus acidophilus: its implications in oral health improvement of diabetics

“…), and shiitake mushrooms (Signoretto et al. ) look promising. However, despite the numerous studies conducted on such functional foods, only a handful of plants can be clinically used to control dental plaque, caries formation, and mouth infections due to their effectiveness, stability, taste, and economic feasibility (Bagramian et al.…”