Tablets containing a cysteine protease, actinidine, reduce oral malodor: a crossover study

Area of Science:

• Oral hygiene
• Biochemistry
• Enzymology

Background:

• Tongue coating (TC) primarily comprises proteins from exfoliated epithelial cells.
• Current methods for TC reduction rely on mechanical interventions, which can cause adverse effects like gagging or carcinogenesis.
• Protease enzymes are hypothesized to be effective in reducing TC and associated oral malodor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of long-term consumption of candy tablets containing the protease actinidine.
• To assess the impact of these tablets on both tongue coating accumulation and volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in mouth air.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized crossover trial involving 14 adult subjects (ages 24-54).
• Participants consumed candy tablets with or without actinidine three times daily for seven days.
• Measurements of VSC concentration and TC accumulation were performed before and after initial tablet use, and on day seven.

Main Results:

• Both actinidine and placebo tablets significantly reduced VSCs and TC on the first day of use.
• A statistically significant reduction in VSCs was observed after seven days of actinidine tablet use exclusively in the test group.
• These findings indicate a potential accumulative benefit of actinidine in reducing oral malodor with sustained use.

Conclusions:

• Candy tablets containing actinidine demonstrate a cumulative effect in reducing volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) with long-term use.
• Actinidine presents a promising, non-mechanical approach to managing tongue coating and improving oral malodor.
• Further research into actinidine's therapeutic potential in oral hygiene is warranted.