Natural food colouring could be used to treat caries and periodontitis
The therapeutic potential of curcumin has been highlighted by researchers.
The therapeutic potential in regenerative dentistry of curcumin, the natural substance that gives turmeric its yellow colour, has been highlighted by researchers.
Natural compounds have emerged as promising candidates in drug development due to their potent immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic and healing properties.They have shown significant therapeutic potential in clinical applications, such as mouth rinses, toothpastes, and localised delivery systems.
Among natural compounds, curcumin has gained particular attention, demonstrating robust anti-cancer, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory activities in numerous in vivo studies, whilst exhibiting a favourable safety profile for the treatment of various diseases.
Now, researchers have explored the remedial effects of curcumin and its metabolite, tetrahydrocurcumin, on dental pulp cells. In addition, the results were compared with the researchers’ previous findings on the effects of these natural compounds on periodontal ligament and gingival epithelial cells, further broadening their understanding of their therapeutic potential in oral disease such as caries and periodontitis.
“Our enrichment analysis show that treatment with tetrahydrocurcumin modulates extracellular matrix and angiogenesis,” said the researchers. “The findings of this study highlight the cytoprotective and regenerative properties of curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin. These properties could be leveraged as a therapeutic approach to promote tissue regeneration in oral diseases.”