Potra Cicalău Georgiana Ioana, Ciavoi Gabriela, Scrobota Ioana, Venter Ionut Daniel, Ganea Madalin Florin, Ghitea Marc Cristian, Ghitea Evelin Claudia, Gîtea Maria Flavia, Ghitea Timea Claudia, Nagy Csaba, Pelea Diana Constanta, Dobjanschi Luciana, Gligor Octavia, Moisa Corina, Ganea Mariana
Dental Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 1st December Square 10, 410073 Oradea, Romania.
Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Oradea, 1 Universității Street, 410073 Oradea, Romania.
Nutrients. 2025 Jul 29;17(15):2480. doi: 10.3390/nu17152480.
Salivary pH plays a critical role in oral health by influencing enamel demineralization, buffering capacity, and the ecology of oral microbiota. Essential oils such as (oregano) possess well-documented antimicrobial properties that may reduce acidogenic bacterial activity. However, the effects of edible delivery systems like jellies on salivary pH modulation and their potential interactions with hormonal states remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of an oregano-oil-based jelly formulation against standard bacterial (, , and ) and fungal () strains using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Additionally, a human trial ( = 91) measured salivary pH before and after administration of the oregano-oil jelly. Participants were characterized by age, smoking status, menopausal status, and presence of menstruation. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of final salivary pH. The oregano-oil jelly demonstrated strong in vitro antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zones up to 8 mm for and . In vivo, mean unstimulated salivary pH increased from 6.94 to 7.07 overall, indicating a mild alkalinizing effect. However, menstruating participants showed a significant decrease in final pH (from 7.03 to 6.78). Multiple regression identified menstruation as a significant negative predictor (β = -0.377, < 0.001) and initial pH as a positive predictor (β = +0.275, = 0.002). Menopausal status was not a significant predictor, likely due to the small sample size. Oregano-oil jellies may represent a promising natural approach to support oral health by increasing salivary pH and providing strong antimicrobial activity. However, physiological states such as menstruation can significantly modulate this response, underscoring the importance of personalized or phase-aware oral care strategies. Further studies with larger, diverse cohorts and controlled hormonal assessments are needed to validate these findings and optimize product formulations.
唾液pH值通过影响牙釉质脱矿、缓冲能力和口腔微生物群生态，在口腔健康中起着关键作用。牛至等精油具有充分记录的抗菌特性，可能会降低产酸细菌的活性。然而，果冻等可食用递送系统对唾液pH调节的影响及其与激素状态的潜在相互作用仍知之甚少。本研究使用Kirby-Bauer纸片扩散法评估了一种基于牛至油的果冻制剂对标准细菌（变形链球菌、嗜酸乳杆菌和远缘链球菌）和真菌（白色念珠菌）菌株的体外抗菌活性。此外，一项人体试验（n = 91）测量了服用牛至油果冻前后的唾液pH值。参与者的特征包括年龄、吸烟状况、绝经状态和月经情况。采用多元线性回归来确定最终唾液pH值的预测因素。牛至油果冻表现出很强的体外抗菌活性，对变形链球菌和嗜酸乳杆菌的抑菌圈可达8毫米。在体内，总体未刺激唾液pH值从6.94升至7.07，表明有轻度碱化作用。然而，处于月经期的参与者最终pH值显著下降（从7.03降至6.78）。多元回归确定月经是一个显著的负预测因素（β = -0.377，P < 0.001），初始pH值是一个正预测因素（β = +0.275，P = 0.002）。绝经状态不是一个显著的预测因素，可能是由于样本量较小。牛至油果冻可能是一种有前景的天然方法，通过提高唾液pH值和提供强大的抗菌活性来支持口腔健康。然而，月经等生理状态会显著调节这种反应，凸显了个性化或分阶段口腔护理策略的重要性。需要用更大、更多样化的队列进行进一步研究，并进行受控的激素评估，以验证这些发现并优化产品配方。
