curry leaves and cheap mouthwash

Curry leaves

M V Math¹ & P Balasubramaniam¹

1. Mumbai

Send your letters to the editor, British Dental Journal, 64 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS or by email to e-mail: bdj@bda.org

Sir, it is nice to know that dental decay in children’s teeth is decreasing in the UK as reported recently in the BDJ’s news pages (BDJ2004,  197: 64)

In developing countries, (more often in the rural areas) there is higher prevalence of dental and periodontal disease due to negligence and lack of awareness and the cost of oral health care has increased in these countries.

Essential oil (EO) mouthwashes are important in oral health management¹. They contain thymol, eucalyptus oil and menthol and the tepenes present have antibacterial and antifungal activity^{2, 3}. They have broad antimicrobial effects, are microbiologically safe^{3, 4} and have the ability to penetrate the plaque biofilm killing the microorganisms⁵.

The curry leaf tree (Murraya Koenigii spreng – a green leafy vegetable) is grown all over India and other countries for its aromatic leaves which are used daily as an ingredient in Indian cuisine.

The fresh curry leaves contain 2.6% volatile essential oils (containing sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes)⁶ and the essential oils in the curry leaves are sufficiently soluble in water.

They contain 21000g total carotene, 7100g beta carotene, 93.9g total folic acid, 0.21mg riboflavin, 0.93mg iron, 830mg calcium, 57mg phosphorus and 0.20mg zinc per 100g⁷.

The cold extract of curry leaves (10g of cut fresh curry leaves in 200ml of distilled water) has a pH of 6.3 to 6.4. (unpublished personal observations). Chlorophyll has been proposed as an anticariogenic agent and it also helps to reduce halitosis⁸.

We have observed that holding curry leaves in the mouth for 5 to 7 minutes is helpful in reducing halitosis⁹ and that the terpenes have been found to reduce airborne chemicals and bacteria¹⁰.

In addition to the presence of EO, the curry leaves contain chlorophyll, beta carotene and folic acid, riboflavin, calcium and zinc and all these can act on the oral tissues and help in keeping up good oral health. Chewing 2 to 4 fresh curry leaves with 10 to 15mls water in the mouth, swishing for 5 to 7 minutes and rinsing the mouth out with water can be of help in keeping good oral hygiene and as the curry leaf is a green leafy vegetable it will be safe and cheap to use as mouthwash.

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References

1. Claffey N. Essential oil mouthwash: a key component in oral health management. J Clin Periodontol. 2003; 30 (suppl. 5): 22–24.
2. Dolara P, Corte B, Ghelardini C, et al. Local anaesthetic, antibacterial and antifungal properties of sesquiterpenes from myrrh. Planta Med 2000; 66: 356–8 | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
3. Bernimoulin JP. Recent concepts in plaque formation. J Clin Periodontol. 2003; 30 (suppl. 5): 7–9
4. Santos A. Evidence based control of plaque and gingivitis J Clin Periodontol. 2003; 30 (suppl. 5): 13–16
5. Ouhayoun JP. Penetrating the plaque biofilm: impact of essential oil mouthwash. J Clin Periodontol. 2003; 30 (suppl. 5): 10–12
6. Indian Institute of Spice Research (www.iisr.org/spices/curryleaves.htm).
7. Gopalan C, Rama sastri BV, Balasubramanian SC. In Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, revised and updated Narasinga rao BS, Deosthale YG, Pant KC. National Institute of Nutrition ICMR Hyderabad, India. 2000.
8. Shafer WG, Hine MK, Levy BM, Tomich CE. Dental caries. A Text Book of Oral Pathology. pp 254–262 New Delhi, Saunders, 2002.
9. Math MV and Balasubramaniam P. Curry leaves (Murraya Koenigii spreng) and halitosis. BMJ South Asia edition 2003;19(3):211
10. Odorchem Manufacturing Corp. Canada (www.air8solutions.com

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