Pycnogenol® Extract from French Maritime Pine Bark Eliminates Dry Mouth

by | Jun 23, 2020 | Oral Health, Pycnogenol

Written by Joyce Smith, BS.  Pycnogenol® supplementation significantly increased saliva production and alleviated dry mouth symptoms in both diabetic and non-diabetic participants.

drinking waterXerostomia, an abnormal dryness in the mouth, occurs when the salivary glands produce insufficient saliva. Twenty percent of our elderly population may suffer from dry mouth which can lead to problems with speech, swallowing and wearing dentures. Lack of proper mouth hygiene further exacerbates the problem by promoting bacterial infection, candidiasis, and mucosal breaks and ulcerations in the mouth. 1-3. Other contributors to xerostomia are systemic diseases such as Sjogren disease, and HIV/Aids 4,5, chemo- or radiation- therapy, or a consequence of reactions to the greater than 400 available prescription drugs 1-3. Diabetics are especially vulnerable to dry mouth because of a compromised nervous system associated with their disease.

Pycnogenol® is a plant extract from French Maritime Pine Bark that contains an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and phenolic acids. Previous studies have already shown Pycnogenol® to help reduce dry mouth symptoms associated with Sjogren or Bechet disease 4,5. Chewing sugar-free gums may also improve salivary flow in subjects with xerostomia 6,7. Furthermore, salivation helps prevent tooth decay. It reduces acid erosions on teeth enamel by increasing the redeposition of calcium and phosphate on the tooth surface, thus functioning as a natural protector of oral mucosa and teeth, and as a gentle buffer between teeth and the acids produced by foods.

This study’s objective was to evaluate the effect of Pycnogenol® on dry mouth in otherwise healthy diabetic and non-diabetic participants with respect to signs and symptoms (mucosal breaks and ulcerations) of dry mouth, as well as levels of salivary oxidative stress and improvements in saliva production.

In a randomized, placebo controlled pilot study 8, 48 participants, aged 45-55 years, with symptoms of dry mouth were divided into four groups of twelve participants per group: 12 diabetic and 12 non-diabetic participants who supplemented daily with 150 mg of pycnogenol and 12 diabetic and nondiabetic participants who received standard management only and served as controls.

Findings revealed that both diabetics and non-diabetics showed significant increases in saliva production and decreases in oxidative stress with Pycnogenol® supplementation, compared to controls.

  • Non-diabetics taking Pycnogenol® saw an 82% improvement of saliva production, and diabetics saw a 70% improvement of saliva production, compared to significantly lower variations of improvement seen in the control groups.
  • Subjective mouth dryness significantly improved by 66 % in non-diabetics and 63% in diabetics compared to a 3% and a 6% improvement seen in the respective control groups.
  • Pycnogenol® supplementation also significantly lowered the prevalence of mouth ulcers and sores in non-diabetics by 69% and in diabetics by 58% compared to significantly lower improvements in the control groups.

Researchers feel this study warrants additional studies of longer duration and with a larger population of patients with dry mouth, particularly those patients whose dry mouth is due to a more extensive range of symptoms and health conditions including radio-chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS or following surgery 9.

Source: Belcaro, Gianni, M. Rosaria Cesarone, Umberto Cornelli, Claudia Scipione, Valeria Scipione, Mark Dugall, Shu Hu et al. “Xerostomia: prevention with Pycnogenol® supplementation: a pilot study.” Minerva Stomatologica 68, no. 6 (2019): 303-307.

© 2019 Edizioni Minerva Medica

Posted June 23, 2020.

Joyce Smith, BS, is a degreed laboratory technologist. She received her bachelor of arts with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Biology from  the University of Saskatchewan and her internship through the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She currently resides in Bloomingdale, IL.

References:

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