2008

White Willow Bark Extract Magnolia bark extract -- a traditional Chinese medicine -- may be the newest weapon in the war on

bad breath. Chewing gum maker Wm Wrigley Jr said on Tuesday that it has added a bit of this germ-killing compound to their

Eclipse gum and mints. The hope is to not simply mask bad breath, as most strongly flavoured mints and gums do, but to kill

odour-causing bacteria. Magnolia bark extract has long been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine. It is used to treat

fever, headache and stress -- and has proven effective against germs that cause ulcers. Recent studies have shown it has low

toxicity and few side effects. Most bad breath occurs when bacteria in the mouth break down proteins, producing foul-smelling

sulphur compounds. But many antimicrobial agents cause nasty side effects like tooth staining, making them impractical for

oral care. According to research published last fall by company scientists, researchers in Wrigley's lab tested magnolia bark

extract on cultures of three types of oral micro-organisms. The extract killed 99.9 percent of the micro-organisms within

five minutes, the researchers said. In a study of nine volunteers who chewed the mints after lunch, they killed off more than

61 percent of the germs that cause bad breath within 30 minutes -- which is comparable to some commercial mouthwashes, the

company study found. Mints without the extract were only 3.6 percent effective. Gum with the extract took a bit longer to

kill oral bacteria. The extract also helped kill a group of bacteria that causes tooth decay. Wrigley's tree-bark gum will be

on U.S. store shelves later this summer. Mints with the tree-bark extract will be available this fall.