Compounds found in raisins fight bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease, according to researchers at the <<>>.
"Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppressed the growth of oral bacteria associated with caries and gum disease," said Christine Wu, professor and associate dean for research at the <<>> and lead author of the study. Phytochemicals are compounds found in higher plants.
The data were presented today at the annual meeting of the <<>> in Atlanta.
Wu and her co-workers performed routine chemical analyses to identify five phytochemicals in Thompson seedless raisins: oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, betulin, betulinic acid and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural.
Oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural inhibited the growth of two species of oral bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, which causes cavities, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, which causes periodontal disease. The compounds were effective against the bacteria at concentrations ranging from about 200 to 1,000 micrograms per milliliter.
Betulin and betulinic acid were less effective, requiring much higher concentrations for similar antimicrobial activity.