Objective: To evaluate the effect of the toothpaste containing ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) and funme peptide (FP) as key components on oral microbial composition and oral health.
Methods: An oral microbiome study was initially carried out to analyze the variation in the oral microbiota before and after use of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) toothpaste. Subsequently, a clinical trial was independently performed to assess the efficacy of AMP toothpaste by measuring the dental plaque index (PLI), volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) levels, modified bleeding index (mBI), and bleeding on probing rate (BOP%).
Results: The application of AMP toothpaste increased the α diversity and modified β diversity of oral microbiome across 3 oral niches. AMP toothpaste increased the relative abundance of the commensal oral microbes, and attenuated the abundance of pathogenic bacteria in gingivitis patients to normal levels. The clinical trial showed 44.33% and 12.29% reductions of PLI scores in the test and control groups, respectively, and the test group exhibited a more pronounced decrease in VSC levels. The test group recorded significant reductions in mBI and BOP% by 39.09% and 24.59%, respectively, exceeding the control group's reductions of 4.63% and -0.97% (P < .05).
Conclusion: The formulation of toothpaste with ε-PL and FP recalibrated the oral microbiome's diversity and abundance, and mitigated common oral health issues such as plaque, halitosis, and gingivitis while maintaining well safety.
Clinical relevance: Oral care products containing ε-PL and FP can be used as a new treatment for improving oral microbiota and oral diseases.
Keywords: AMPs; Gingivitis; Halitosis; Oral microbiome; Plaque; Toothpaste.
Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.