Tag Archives: Prebiotic

Discover How Prebiotic Chewing Gum Can Combat Periodontal Disease

Posted on by
Reply
Chewing Gum Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Compares Chewing Gum Types for Periodontal Health

PeopleImages/Shutterstock

Patients suffering from periodontal disease can experience immediate relief by chewing gum infused with nitrates, substances known to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Periodontal disease, commonly referred to as mild gingivitis, develops when plaque—a thin film of bacteria—accumulates on the teeth, leading to gum inflammation and bleeding.

Maintaining oral hygiene by brushing twice daily, flossing or using interdental brushes, and rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash are essential for preventing or treating this condition. However, these habits can be challenging to maintain regularly, notes Sean Green at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in West Carson, California.

If untreated, this milder form of gum disease can escalate to periodontitis, resulting in painful oral abscesses and loss of teeth.

Prior studies indicate that consuming nitrate-rich foods like leafy greens and beets can enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria, mitigating gum inflammation. However, access to or enjoyment of such foods varies widely, adds Green.

To explore a different method of leveraging nitrate benefits, Green and his team enlisted 30 adults diagnosed with mild periodontal disease. Participants were randomly assigned to chew a nitrate-rich gum developed by the researchers or a nitrate-free gum of the same flavor for at least 15 minutes three times daily over three weeks. They were instructed to continue their regular oral care routines and dietary habits during the study period.

Before and after the trial, the researchers evaluated gum health by measuring bleeding around each tooth using a small metal rod. Participants chewing the nitrate-rich gum showed a decrease in bleeding from an average of 26% at the study’s onset to 15% by the end. In contrast, chewing nitrate-free gum did not produce any significant results.

“This marks a clinically significant improvement in gum health,” states Praveen Sharma, a researcher from the University of Birmingham, UK, who did not participate in the study.

Analysis of saliva samples indicates that the nitrate gum enhances levels of beneficial oral bacteria that convert nitrate into nitric oxide while reducing the presence of harmful plaque-forming bacteria, including Porphyromonas gingivalis.

The findings imply that this approach, supplemented by conventional treatments, could serve as an effective method for alleviating periodontal symptoms. “This serves as a solid proof of concept,” adds Francesco Daiuto at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK. However, further research is necessary to determine the longevity of these effects and their efficacy in treating advanced periodontal disease.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Study Suggests Life First Emerged in Surface-Bound Prebiotic Gels

Posted on by
Reply

In a new study published in the journal Chemical Systems Chemistry, Professor Tony Jia and his team at Hiroshima University have proposed a “prebiotic gel-first” framework. This framework explores how the origins of life might arise within gels adhering to surfaces. The authors also consider the potential existence of “xenophiles,” meaning alien biofilm-like structures that may be extraterrestrial or consist of various terrestrial components. They emphasize the importance of agnostic life detection strategies in the quest for both known and unknown forms of life.

An artist’s impression of a prebiotic gel on the surface of early Earth. Image credit: Nirmell Satthiyasilan.

“The question of how life began has intrigued humanity for ages,” remarked Professor Jia and his co-authors.

“While no one can journey back in time to witness the inception of life, scientists are continually piecing together plausible narratives from chemistry, physics, and geology.”

“Contrary to many theories that concentrate solely on the role of biomolecules and biopolymers, our theory incorporates the significance of gels in the origin of life.”

Within this newly proposed prebiotic gel-first framework, the researchers hypothesize that life could have emerged within gel matrices affixed to surfaces—adhesive, semi-solid substances that possess traits reminiscent of today’s microbial biofilms, which are thin layers of bacteria thriving on rocks, pond surfaces, and even human-made structures.

By integrating insights from soft matter chemistry and contemporary biology, they suggest that such primitive gels may have provided essential structure and functionality for increasingly sophisticated early chemical systems, long before the advent of the first cells.

Prebiotic gels may have addressed crucial hurdles in pre-living chemistry by trapping and organizing molecules, enabling concentration, selective retention, and environmental buffering.

Within these gels, primitive chemical systems may have developed early metabolism and self-replicating behaviors, paving the way for biological evolution.

“This is merely one theory among numerous others within the extensive field of origin-of-life research,” stated Dr. Kuhan Chandru from the Space Science Center at the National University of Malaysia.

“Yet, the significance of gels has been largely overlooked; thus, we aimed to synthesize fragmented research into a cohesive narrative that places primitive gels at the center of discourse.”

Scientists have extended this concept into astrobiology, proposing that similar gel-like systems could exist on other planets.

These possible “xeno-membranes” may serve as non-terrestrial analogues of biofilms and consist of unique chemical components specific to each region.

This viewpoint suggests that the structures themselves, rather than specific chemicals, could be the next focus for life-detection missions, expanding the methods by which astrobiologists can search for life beyond Earth.

The authors now plan to validate their model experimentally by investigating how simple chemical gels formed under early Earth conditions and what properties they imparted to emerging chemical systems.

Dr. Ramona Khanum, also from the Space Science Center at the National University of Malaysia, expressed: “We hope our research will inspire others in the field to investigate this and other unresolved theories concerning the origin of life.”

_____

Ramona Khanum et al. Prebiotic gel as the cradle of life. Chemical Systems Chemistry, published online on November 19, 2025. doi: 10.1002/syst.202500038

Source: www.sci.news