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Amla: A boon for Periodontal health

  • May 2019
Authors:
Suman Madan at Vlcc Institutestitute of Beauty and Nutrition
Suman Madan
  • Vlcc Institutestitute of Beauty and Nutrition
Seema Kashyap at Dayalbagh Educational Institute
Seema Kashyap
Prof Gul Mathur
Prof Gul Mathur
Prof Gul Mathur
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Abstract

Amla or Emblica officinalis is a medicinal plant that is considered as first medicinal plant evolved on earth. Due to the presence of Vitamin C and bioactive phytoconstituents Amla possess antibiotic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, appetite stimulator, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory and astringent properties. It is used in various herbal preparations like Chyawanprash, murabba, digestive tablets etc. Periodontal diseases are caused by the microbes that destroy the periodontal structure. Due to antimicrobial and anti-ulcerative property of Amla, it is used in dentistry for the treatment of periodontal diseases. The aim of the present article was to review properties of Amla and its uses for periodontal health in light of recent literature.
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© 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162)
JETIR1905B01
Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org
1
Amla: A boon for Periodontal health
1Dr. Suman Madan, 2Dr. Seema Kashyap, 3Prof. Gul Mathur
1Research Scholar, 2Assistent Professor, 3Professor Emeritus
1Department of Food and Nutrition,
1Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, India
Abstract: Amla or Emblica officinalis is a medicinal plant that is considered as first medicinal plant evolved on earth. Due
to the presence of Vitamin C and bioactive phytoconstituents Amla possess antibiotic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective,
appetite stimulator, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory and astringent properties. It is used in various herbal
preparations like Chyawanprash, murabba, digestive tablets etc. Periodontal diseases are caused by the microbes that
destroy the periodontal structure. Due to antimicrobial and anti-ulcerative property of Amla, it is used in dentistry for the
treatment of periodontal diseases. The aim of the present article was to review properties of Amla and its uses for periodontal
health in light of recent literature.
Keywords - Amla, Periodontitis, Gingivitis, Emblica officinalis, Gum health
I. INTRODUCTION
Oral diseases have become a serious health problem globally. Cavities, Periodontal diseases and oral mucosal lesions are the
most common oral issues. The most predominant reason for oral diseases is accumulation of microorganisms in the oral activity.
Periodontal diseases are the most prevalent diseases among all oral diseases caused by the periodontopathogenic microorganism.
According to WHO, prevalence rate of Periodontal diseases is very high. There are many synthetic compounds commercially
available in market for prevention and treatment of Periodontal diseases but those may cause side effects like staining of teeth, bad
taste and sometimes regurgitations. Thus, there is a need of natural compound to treat Periodontal diseases. Medical plants with
active phytochemicals can serve as medication with minimal or no side effects [Turagam et al., 2017].
There are several medicinal plants present in nature which can cure diseases and provide health benefits. Emblica officinalis or
Amla are among those medicinal plants. Amla belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae by the botanical name of Phyllanthus emblica
or Emblica officinalis. In Ayurveda it is commonly used as a tonic to restore body energy [Dasaroju et al., 2014]. Among all
phytoconstituents present in Emblica officinalis, Gallic acid is the primary phytoconstituent of Emblica officinalis. Other
constituents of Emblica officinalis are tannins, phenolic compounds and alkaloids. Amla fruit contains Vitamin C in abundance.
Due to presence of these phytoconstituents, Amla has a valuable role in several diseases like liver diseases, heart diseases, cancer,
anemia, diabetes and ulcers. Amla acts as antioxidant, antipyretic, analgesic, immunomodulatory, cytoprotective, gastroprotective
and antitussive [Grover et al., 2015].
II. EMBLICA OFFICINALIS IN AYURVEDA
Emblica officinalis fruits tastes sour, sweet and bitter all together and also possess strong astringent property. Emblica officinalis
is being used to cure tridosha - the vat, pitta and cough especially in pitta. After chewing it tastes sweet. It is cool in nature.
Commercially Emblica officinalis is being used to make juice, candy, murabba, as one of the key ingredients in chyavanprash,
pickle and oil [Dasaroju et al., 2014].
III. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF AMLA
Main reason of diseases is imbalance in homeostasis of the body. Either there is an increased production of free radicals or
inability of antioxidants to scavenge free radicals to protect the body against ill effects of free radicals. Emblica officinalis has
abundance of Vitamin-C and hydrolysable tannins. Due to presence of these, Amla possess antioxidant property. Tannins in the
form of emblicanin A, emblicanin B, punigloconin and pendunculagin protect the body against oxidized free radicals. Tannins
recycle the sugar molecule and convert them into medium and high molecular weight tannins. Due to powerful antioxidant property,
it enhances natural cell killer (NK) activity and protect the gingiva against oral micro pathogens [Prakash et al., 2013].
IV. AMLA AS A BOON FOR PERIODONTAL HEALTH
Infections in the Periodontal apparatus i.e. Gingiva, alveolar bone, periodontal ligament and cementum surrounding the teeth
called periodontal diseases. Gingivitis and Periodontitis are the most common periodontal diseases. If periodontal diseases are left
untreated, they can lead to loosening of teeth in their socket and eventually tooth loss. Recent researches have shown association
between periodontal disease and non-communicable diseases like atherosclerosis in the heart, diabetes, complications in pregnancy,
arthritis, respiratory problems and stroke [Hattarki et al., 2018]. Hence, Amla is current interested topic for prevention and cure of
Periodontal diseases. Various researches also have been conducted to check the efficacy of Emblica officinalis or Amla against oral
periodontopathogenic microorganisms. Some of them are discussed in Table 1.
© 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162)
JETIR1905B01
Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org
2
IV. DISCUSSION
Medicinal plants are used since ancient time in prevention and treatment of diseases. India is the richest source of herbs that’s
why traditional medicine plays important role in cure of diseases. In developing countries about 80% of population use herbs or
herbal products for their health. Emblica officinalis is one of the Medicinal plants used in Indian traditional system as Medicine as
well as in Indian kitchen in recipes. It possesses an abundance of vitamin C and also bioactive phytoconstituents like gallic acid,
tannins, flavonoids etc. Due to these phytoconstituents Amla possesses antibiotic, antioxidant and wound healing property. As seen
in Table 1, in clinical trials Amla effectively inhibit the growth of plaque causing bacteria thereby prevent the progression of
gingivitis and periodontitis as well due to anti-ulcer property, it heals the affected sites.
V. CONCLUSION
Periodontal diseases are considered as a major health disease that leads to tooth loss. Medicinal plant-based product comes as
a saviour with no or minimal side effect in comparison to conventional therapies. Phytoconstituents present in the Medicinal plants
prevent and cure the periodontal diseases by inhibiting the plaque causing microorganism. Emblica officinalis in the form of gel,
mouthwash, in dentifrice or as a local subgingival pack can be used as an effective treatment of periodontal diseases. Only few
researches were conducted for checking the efficacy of Emblica officinalis in Periodontal diseases. Thus, more researches should
be conducted on Emblica officinalis incorporated products so that periodontal diseases can be treated in an effective and cost
friendly manner with minimal side effects.
Table Table 1 – Research studies in prevention and treatment of gingivitis/periodontitis
Researcher
Study
Outcome
1
Tewari et al.
(2018)
10% Emblica officinalis irrigation in treatment of
Periodontitis in comparison of chlorohexidine and
saline.A double-blind randomized control trial
Emblica officinalis
significantly reduce plaque
index, bleeding index and
pocket depth.
2
Mhaske et al.
(2016)
Emblica officinalis with other medicinal plant in
Oxitard capsule for treatment of Desquamative
gingivitis.
Emblica officinalis is rich in
Vitamin C and other
phytoconstituent. It acts as
antioxidant and antibiotic
agent. it is used in treatment
of desquamative gingivitis.
3
Tripathi and
Tiwari (2015)
Triphala (Equal quantity of Emblica officinalis,
Terminalia belerica, Terminalia chebula) decoction
as mouthwash and triphala powder 3gm for 1 month
in treated group in comparison of antibiotic and
chlorohexidine mouthwash in control group
Triphala improved the status
of periodontal disease.
4
Pathak et al.
(2012)
Antimicrobial culture study to determine the
antibacterial effect of Emblica officinalis in
inhibition of plaque causing bacteria.
Emblica officinalis
effectively controlled the
growth of plaque causing
bacteria.
5
Guru et al.
(2011)
Emblica officinalis gel for treatment of plaque
induced gingivitis
Emblica officinalis
controlled the gingivitis in 1
week.
6
Gupta et al.
(2006)
Triphala and Emblica officinalis in treatment of
periodontitis as 1gm extract of Amla dissolved in
10ml glycerin.
Effectively cure the
periodontitis. Research was
applied on patents in United
states.
REFERENCES
[1] Dasaroju, Swetha, and Krishna Mohan Gottumukkala. 2014. “Current Trends in the Research of Emblica Officinalis (Amla): A
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[2] Grover, Harpreet Singh, Himanshu Deswal, Yogender Singh, and Amit Bhardwaj. 2015. “Therapeutic Effects of Amla in
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[3] Gupta, Subhash, and Dennis Flanagan. 2006. “System for Treating Conditions of the Peridontium: United Stated Patent
Application Publication.”
[4] Guru, Sanjeela, Saroch. Nitin, and Rakshith Guru. 2011. “Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Amla (Emblica Officinalis) on Plaque
Induced Gingivitis - A Clinical Study.” Journal of the Indian Dental Association 5 (7): 799–801.
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Infections a Holistic Approach - A Review.” Research and Reviewa : Journal of Dental Sciences 6 (3): 18–21.
© 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162)
JETIR1905B01
Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org
3
[6] Mhaske, Maya, Neha Thakur, Supriya Bansode, and Poonam Kedar. 2016. “‘Desquamative Gingivitis Treated By an
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ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
The Scope of an Alternative Medicine to Cure Oral Diseases
Article
Full-text available
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Therapeutic effects of amla in medicine and dentistry: A review
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  • Jan 2015
Emblica officinalis (Amla) is widely used in the Indian system of medicine and believed to increase defense against diseases. Amla is called amalaki in Sanskrit. It is one of the oldest oriental medicines mentioned in Ayurveda as potential remedy for assorted ailments. A wide range of phytochemical components present in amla including alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids have been shown to procure useful biological activities. It is an ingredient of many Ayurvedic medicines and tonics as it removes excessive salivation and internal body heat. Research has been done with amla evaluating its role as an antioxidant. Amla is useful in ulcer prevention, for diabetic patients, and for memory effects. Amla Tonic has a hematinic and lipalytic function useful in scurvy, prevents indigestion, and controls acidity as well as it is a natural source of anti-aging.
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Total phenol and antioxidant activity of some fruits and their under-utilized parts
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Some fruits and their under utilized parts were evaluated for total phenolic contents (TPC), antioxidant (AOA) and free radical scavenging activities (FRSA). The leaves (73.8 mg/g) and fruits of Phoenix sylvestris, fruits of Ziziphus jujuba, Syzygium cumini and Zanthoxyllum acanthopodium and leaves of Protium serratum were found to have high amounts of TPC (69.4 mg/g to 128.6 mg/g GAE). The inflorescence and leaves of Phoenix sylvestris, fruits of Protium serratum, Syzygium cumini and Psidium guajava were found with reasonably good AOA (60.7% to 84.9%). Plants with promising AOA were further investigated for FRSA using DPPH free radical assay in terms of inhibitory concentration (IC50), efficiency concentration (EC50), anti radical power (ARP) and reducing power (RP). Promising fruit samples were further subjected to concentration-dependent FRSA using different methods and expressed in terms of IC50 values. Fruit extracts (20 μg/ml) of Phoenix sylvestris, Protium serratum and leaves of Zanthoxyllum acanthopodium effectively prevented DNA nicking studied on pBR322 DNA. The fruits of Passiflora edulis were found to be good source of caffeic acid, fruits of Phoenix sylvestris of chlorogenic acid, Phoenix sylvestris, Protium serratum and leaves of Zanthoxyllum acanthopodium were rich in gallic acid. The identification of specific polyphenols was further substantiated by MS/MS analysis.
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Efficacy of some medicinal plants against human dental pathogens
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Full-text available
  • Mar 2012
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases having multifactorial etiology. Most of the treatments in dental caries is aimed at either elimination or suppression of bacteria by antibiotics. Increased resistance of oral bacteria to antibiotics however, has developed keen interest of researcher in herbal treatment. In our investigation we have screened nine medicinal plants from Marathwada region. We have proved effective inhibition of dental pathogens by aqueous extract of plants. Amongst selected plants leaves of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica Linn. and Terminalia bellirica Roxb. and flowers of Syzygium aromaticum (Linn.) Merrill & Perry showed three to four times more inhibition in comparison with effective antibiotics like Carbenicillin, Tetracycline, Nalidixic acid and Nitrofurantoin of four dental pathogens, viz. Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolated by us. Int. cl. (2011.01)—A61K 36/00, A61P 31/04 Introduction Dental caries is a very common problem in humans 1 . It is very prevalent in Asian and Latin countries and least prevalent in African countries. In India, nearly 60-70% of the child population is affected by dental caries 2 . The main etiological agents of dental caries are Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguis, S. salivarius, and S. sobrinus. Fermentation of carbohydrate by acidogenic oral bacteria is the key factor in the development of dental caries. The acid released through microbial action leads to demineralization and cavitations of tooth 3
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Anti-inflammatory Effect of Amla (Emblica Officinalis) on Plaque Induced Gingivitis - A Clinical Study
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Aim : This clinical study aimed to evaluate the anti inflammatory efficacy of amla on plaque induced gingivitis. Materials and Methods : This split mouth design study included 20 subjects diagnosed with plaque induced gingivitis. The baseline gingival scores were recorded using gingival index (Loe and Sillness) after which oral prophylaxis was done. Amla extract in gel form was applied in mandibular anterior sextant twice daily for two weeks, at the end of which gingival scores were again recorded using the same scoring method and compared with maxillary anterior sextant which acted as control. Results : The data obtained was statistically analysed using unpaired t- test. Both maxillary and mandibular sextants were compared at baseline and 2 weeks after the treatment. The results showed that there was significant anti- inflammatory effect of amla 1 week after its application but no significant anti- inflammatory effect of amla 2 weeks after its application on the inflamed gingiva. Conclusion : Application of Amla gel showed significant reduction in the inflammation during the 1st week. There was no significant improvement or deterioration in the gingival condition in the 2nd week of application.
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Current trends in the research of Emblica officinalis (Amla): A pharmacological perspective
Article
  • Jan 2014
Phyllanthus emblica Linn. Or Emblica officinalis Gaertn. commonly known as Indian gooseberry or Amla is one of the most important medicinal plants in Indian traditional systems of medicine (Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha). It is a well-known fact that all parts of amla are useful in the treatment of various diseases. Among all, the most important part is fruit. Amla fruit is widely used in the Indian system of medicine as diuretic, laxative, liver tonic, refrigerant, stomachic, restorative, anti-pyretic, hair tonic, ulcer preventive and for common cold, fever; as alone or in combination with other plants. Phytochemical studies on amla disclosed major chemical constituents including tannins, alkaloids, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, emblicanin A & B, phyllembein, quercetin and ascorbic acid are found to be biologically effective. Research reports on amla reveals its analgesic, anti-tussive, antiatherogenic, adaptogenic; cardio, gastro, nephro and neuroprotective, chemopreventive, radio and chemo modulatory and anticancer properties. Amla is also reported to possess potent free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, immunomodulatory activities, which are efficacious in the prevention and treatment of various diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, liver and heart diseases. In this article, we discuss the nutritional value, biochemical constituents, traditional uses, medicinal value of amla and its use as a household remedy. We also emphasized the mechanisms behind the pharmacological activities based on the recent research reports and tried to summarize the results of research done from the past 5 years with proper specifications on the future prospects in a pharmacological perspective.
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System for Treating Conditions of the Peridontium: United Stated Patent Application Publication
  • Jan 2006
  • Subhash Gupta
  • Dennis Flanagan
Gupta, Subhash, and Dennis Flanagan. 2006. "System for Treating Conditions of the Peridontium: United Stated Patent Application Publication."
Power of Ancient Ayurvedic Plants in Treating Periodontal Infections a Holistic Approach -A Review
  • Jan 2018
  • 18-21
  • Sanjeevini A Hattarki
  • Pushpa Vibha R Hegde
  • Sp
Hattarki, Sanjeevini A, Vibha R Hegde, and Pushpa Sp. 2018. "Power of Ancient Ayurvedic Plants in Treating Periodontal Infections a Holistic Approach -A Review." Research and Reviewa : Journal of Dental Sciences 6 (3): 18-21.
Desquamative Gingivitis Treated By an Antioxidant Therapy-A Case Report
  • Jan 2016
  • 18-22
  • Maya Mhaske
  • Neha Thakur
  • Supriya Bansode
  • Poonam Kedar
Mhaske, Maya, Neha Thakur, Supriya Bansode, and Poonam Kedar. 2016. "'Desquamative Gingivitis Treated By an Antioxidant Therapy-A Case Report.'" International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention 5 (4): 18-22.