Nutritional ingredients targeting oral health often involve mechanisms of action by which the compounds can exert influence over combined inflammatory and immune responses. A nutraceutical formulation containing extracts from the tropical fruit mangosteen and from propolis, a resin-like material made by bees, was evidenced in a recent clinical study to benefit gingivitis and incipient periodontitis in 104 patients.
 
“Gingivitis is an inflammatory condition initiated by the accumulation of dental biofilm and is characterized by gingival swelling and redness,” the authors of the study wrote. “Periodontitis is the more progressive form of inflammation that results in the loss of periodontal attachment and is caused by a multitude of factors, including oral bacteria and host immunity. Often, periodontitis can progress unnoticed, but the eventual loss of teeth is irreversible.”
 
The authors of the study posited that this combination of ingredients would be able to benefit those with gingivitis and/or periodontitis – mangosteen contains xanthones, which are compounds that have been shown to exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-allergenic properties, while propolis, a 200-ingredient compound containing flavonoids, cinnamic acids, caffeic acids, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester, is well-documented for antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties as well.
 
The participants of the study either took a daily placebo, or a 194 mg capsule of the supplement daily for a period of eight weeks. Following the intervention period, the authors of the study noted that dental analysis indicated significantly greater improvements in gingival index compared to the placebo group, which began at the 4-week mark of the study. These results correlated with significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes in the experimental group compared to the placebo group, as well as significant reductions in crevicular interleukin-6 and MMP-9, two inflammatory markers associated with gingivitis severity.
 
“In consideration of the significant reduction in modified gingival index, the MAEC used in this study might exhibit anti-inflammatory potential,” the authors of the study concluded. While not conclusive, the findings of this study remain open for discussion in future research, they said.