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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Oral. Health
Sec. Oral Infections and Microbes
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2024.1459254
This article is part of the Research Topic Coping with Antimicrobial Resistance in the Context of Dental Medicine View all 3 articles

Gum Arabic as a Potential Candidate in Quorum Quenching and Treatment of Periodontal Diseases

Provisionally accepted
Nada Tawfig Nada Tawfig 1*Rasha Babiker Rasha Babiker 2Mohammed M. Rehman Mohammed M. Rehman 3Nallan CSK Chaitanya Nallan CSK Chaitanya 3Shahistha P. Dasnadi Shahistha P. Dasnadi 3Bakri G. Gismalla Bakri G. Gismalla 4
  • 1 RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
  • 2 College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras al-Khaimah, Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
  • 3 RAK College of Dental Sciences, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
  • 4 Faculty of Dentistry, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory conditions influenced by bacterial biofilm formation and host immune responses, affecting millions worldwide. Traditional treatments like mechanical debridement and systemic antibiotics often face limitations, including biofilm resilience and antibiotic resistance. Gum Arabic (GA), a natural exudate from Acacia trees, presents a promising alternative with its anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory properties.This review highlights the role of GA in periodontal therapy, particularly its ability to interfere with quorum sensing (QS) pathways, specifically the AI-2 signaling system used by key periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. By disrupting QS, GA inhibits biofilm formation, reduces bacterial virulence, and promotes a balanced oral microbiome. GA's prebiotic properties also encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, enhancing the host's immune response while preserving the systemic microbiome. Clinical studies demonstrate GA's effectiveness as an adjunct in periodontal therapy, with significant reductions in plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, and bleeding. This highlights GA's potential as a natural therapeutic agent, offering an effective, antibiotic-sparing option in managing periodontal disease. However, further research is warranted to fully establish GA's role in comprehensive periodontal care and its long-term benefits.

    Keywords: Gum Arabic (GA), Periodontal disease, Biofilm, Quorum Sensing, quorum quenching, Antibacterial, Anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory

    Received: 03 Jul 2024; Accepted: 17 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tawfig, Babiker, Rehman, Chaitanya, Dasnadi and Gismalla. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Nada Tawfig, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.