Plant-derived compound has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects against periodontal disease
Morin-based powder, extracted from guava leaves, apple peel, and figs, can be slowly released with the help of polymers and serve as an alternative to antibiotics.
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Luciana Solera Sales and Fernanda Brighenti at the Biochemical and Microbiological Research Laboratory at FOAr-UNESP
view moreCredit: Fernanda Brighenti
A powder based on morin, a natural compound extracted from plants such as guava leaves, apple and fig peels, certain teas, and almonds, has shown antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects against bacteria that cause periodontal disease. It is expected that the substance, released in a controlled manner through polymers, will help with nonsurgical treatments as an alternative to antibiotics for controlling microorganisms.
In in vitro laboratory studies, researchers at the Araraquara School of Dentistry at São Paulo State University (FOAr-UNESP) in Brazil tested morin on a multispecies biofilm formed by various species of bacteria that simulated the effects of the disease on patients’ gums.
The results were published in the Archives of Oral Biology. The study was conducted by Luciana Solera Sales during her doctoral studies at FOAr-UNESP, under the supervision of Fernanda Lourenção Brighenti. FAPESP supported the study through a doctorate and a research internship abroad.
Other researchers involved in the study included Andréia Bagliotti Meneguin from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Araraquara (FCFAr) at UNESP; Hernane da Silva Barud from the University of Araraquara (UNIARA); and Michael Robert Milward from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham in England.
“At the moment, we have a fine powder obtained through spray drying – which is the same equipment used to make powdered milk – that can be used to make various types of oral hygiene products. The idea is to provide a platform that acts as an adjunct and can be useful, for example, for people with reduced motor skills who are unable to brush their teeth properly, such as older adults and patients with special needs,” says Brighenti.
Morin was chosen because it is a natural, inexpensive, and easily accessible compound.
“Morin is a flavonoid that can be obtained from various fruits. But simply eating it isn’t enough; the substance needs to be processed. The idea is to take advantage of this natural compound, its benefits, and its advantages, and transform it all so that it can be used to prevent and treat tooth decay and periodontal disease,” Sales points out.
Within the research group, Brighenti has been working with other researchers to develop what she calls platforms that allow different types of substances to act on the diseases currently being studied. According to Brighenti, this is necessary because natural products generally do not dissolve well in water.
“We have a constant flow of saliva. We produce, on average, 1 milliliter of saliva per minute. Anything we put in our mouths is quickly removed by saliva, especially because it has a smell and taste, which stimulates salivary flow. When we have something that sticks to the mucous membrane of the mouth, the inside of our cheeks, and our teeth, it gives us an additional advantage. This controlled release also helps us control the toxicity and stability of the substance,” the professor explains.
In the case of morin, the challenge was to optimize what the group had developed thus far, making it more appealing to potential patients while developing something scalable for the industry.
“We also aim to provide an alternative to products currently available on the market that don’t meet the demand because they have some side effects reported by patients, such as taste changes and increased tartar buildup, as well as stains on the teeth with prolonged use,” Brighenti adds.
“We started developing these systems in the form of tablets, films, and microparticles. But until then, they were too large and unfeasible for oral use. In my PhD, we tried to improve these products by making them smaller. That’s why I developed this format, which looks like powdered milk. I prepared a solution containing sodium alginate and gellan gum to encapsulate morin in a controlled-release system, which is already widely used for drugs but isn’t yet widely used in dentistry,” Sales explains.
Periodontal disease occurs when there is an accumulation of biofilm or bacterial plaque, a sticky film formed by bacteria and food debris that builds up on the teeth.
Periodontitis, a severe form of periodontal disease, is considered the sixth most common chronic condition worldwide. In mild cases, bleeding may occur. As the disease progresses, it can lead to tooth loss.
Proper oral hygiene, including brushing, flossing, and using fluoride toothpaste, can considerably decrease this risk.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022, nearly half of the world’s population (45%) suffers from oral diseases, amounting to approximately 3.5 billion people.
The researchers plan to continue testing morin first in animal models and then in clinical studies to investigate its other properties.
“We observed with the naked eye that the in vitro biofilm treated with morin in the laboratory is less stained than when treated in its free form. So, it’s possible that there’s an advantage, that this system helps prevent tooth discoloration. We also need to test, for example, whether morin maintains the balance of the oral cavity, because we don’t want to eliminate all bacteria from patients’ mouths,” says Brighenti.
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
Journal
Archives of Oral Biology
Article Title
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial evaluation of morin
Study finds cocoa extract supplement reduced key marker of inflammation and aging
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COSMOS Trial study pills pack
view moreCredit: Mars Edge
Could cocoa extract supplements rich in cocoa flavanols reduce inflammation and, in turn, prevent age-related chronic diseases? In a new study from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), investigators from Mass General Brigham and their colleagues looked at changes in five age-related markers of inflammation among participants who received daily cocoa supplements over several years. They found that hsCRP—an inflammatory marker that can signal increased risk of cardiovascular disease—decreased in participants taking the cocoa extract supplement, suggesting its anti-inflammatory potential may help explain its heart-protective effects. Their results are published in Age and Ageing.
Nutritional interventions have become an increasingly attractive solution for slowing inflammatory aging, so called “inflammaging.” Cocoa extract has been shown in previous, smaller studies to reduce inflammatory biomarkers, thanks to flavanols—small, bioactive compounds found not only in the cocoa bean but also berries, grapes, tea, and other plant-based foods. To bridge the gap between these studies and humans, researchers launched the large-scale COSMOS trial, which examines the effects of cocoa extract on cardiovascular disease, and whether inflammaging may explain those effects.
“Our interest in cocoa extract and inflammaging started on the basis of cocoa-related reductions in cardiovascular disease,” said corresponding author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “We also appreciate the important overlap between healthy aging and cardiovascular health, where aging-related inflammation can harden arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. Because of that, we wanted to see whether multi-year cocoa extract supplementation versus a placebo could modulate inflammaging—and the data suggests it does.”
Between 2014 and 2020, Brigham and Women’s Hospital led the COSMOS trial, a large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 21,442 participants over 60 years old, finding that cocoa extract supplementation decreased cardiovascular disease mortality by 27%.
In this new study, researchers collected and analyzed blood samples of 598 COSMOS participants to measure several inflammaging biomarkers: three pro-inflammatory proteins (hsCRP, IL-6, and TNF-α), one anti-inflammatory protein (IL-10), and one immune-mediating protein (IFN-γ). Comparing changes in these biomarkers measured at baseline, 1, and 2 years follow-up, hsCRP levels decreased by 8.4% each year compared with placebo, while the other biomarkers remained relatively consistent or increased modestly.
“Interestingly, we also observed an increase in interferon-γ, an immune-related cytokine, which opens new questions for future research,” said senior author Yanbin Dong, MD/PhD, Director of the Georgia Prevention Institute (GPI) and cardiologist/population geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia/Augusta University. “While cocoa extract is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, these results are encouraging and highlight its potential role in modulatingi nflammation as we age.
The decrease in hsCRP may help explain the cardio-protective effects seen with cocoa extract supplement in the larger COSMOS trial, where participants experienced a reduction in cardiovascular disease death. Researchers said that changes in the other inflammaging markers, including a small reduction in IL-6 observed in female but not male participants, warrant additional study. The team will continue to evaluate the COSMOS trial to determine whether the cocoa - and multivitamin - regimens can curb more severe inflammaging, as well as other important aging-related health outcomes.
“This study calls for more attention to the advantage of plant-based foods for cardiovascular health, including cocoa products rich in flavanols,” added Sesso. “It reinforces the importance of a diverse, colorful, plant-based diet—especially in the context of inflammation.”
Authorship: In addition to Sesso, Mass General Brigham authors include Sidong Li, Rikuta Hamaya, Allison Clar, Pamela M. Rist, and JoAnn E. Manson. In addition to Dong, Augusta University authors include Haidong Zhu and Ying Huang.
Disclosures: Manson and Sesso received investigator-initiated grants from Mars Edge, a segment of Mars Incorporated dedicated to nutrition research and products, for infrastructure support and donation of COSMOS study pills and packaging, and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon) for donation of COSMOS study pills and packaging during the conduct of the study. Sesso additionally reported receiving investigator-initiated grants from Pure Encapsulations, American Pistachio Growers, and Haleon, and honoraria and/or travel for lectures from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, BASF, Haleon, and NIH during the conduct of the study. No other authors reported any conflicts of interests for this study
Funding: This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health (HL157665). The COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) is supported by an investigator-initiated grant from Mars Edge, a segment of Mars dedicated to nutrition research and products, which included infrastructure support and the donation of study pills and packaging. Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon) provided support through the partial provision of study pills and packaging. COSMOS is also supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (AG050657, AG071611, and EY025623). Neither company had a role in the trial design or conduct, data collection, data analysis, or manuscript preparation or review.
Paper cited: Li S et al. “Effects of Two-year Cocoa Extract Supplementation on Inflammaging Biomarkers in Older US Adults: Findings from the COSMOS Randomized Clinical Trial” Age and Ageing DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afaf269
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About Mass General Brigham
Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.
Journal
Age and Ageing
Article Title
Effects of Two-year Cocoa Extract Supplementation on Inflammaging Biomarkers in Older US Adults: Findings from the COSMOS Randomized Clinical Trial
Article Publication Date
17-Sep-2025
COI Statement
Manson and Sesso received investigator-initiated grants from Mars Edge, a segment of Mars Incorporated dedicated to nutrition research and products, for infrastructure support and donation of COSMOS study pills and packaging, and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now Haleon) for donation of COSMOS study pills and packaging during the conduct of the study. Sesso additionally reported receiving investigator-initiated grants from Pure Encapsulations, American Pistachio Growers, and Haleon, and honoraria and/or travel for lectures from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, BASF, Haleon, and NIH during the conduct of the study. No other authors reported any conflicts of interests for this study
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