Does Listerine inhibit the growth of S Marscesence???

Question

Just curious

Answer 1

STREPTOCOCCUS MARSCESENCE IS ONE OF THE MANY BACTERIA WHOSE GROWTH IS INHIBITED:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Description of Oral Care Film Compositions

The first embodiment of the invention is a physiologically acceptable film that is particularly well adapted to adhere to and dissolve in a mouth of a consumer to deliver an antimicrobial agent that kills germs that cause halitosis, dental plaque and gingivitis. Thus, the film can be an effective tool in the prevention and treatment of halitosis, dental plaque accumulation, dental tartar accumulation and gingivitis. This film preferably comprises pullulan, thymol, methyl salicylate, eucalyptol and menthol.

LISTERINE® brand mouthwash is, perhaps, the most well-known example of an antiseptic oral composition that has proven effective in killing microbes in the oral cavity that are responsible for plaque, gingivitis and bad breath. LISTERINE® brand mouthwash achieves its antimicrobial effect through a combination of essential oils that penetrate and kill the microorganisms. These essential oils include precisely balanced amounts of thymol, methyl salicylate, menthol and eucalyptol (hereinafter "the essential oils") in a hydro alcoholic solution. Many bad breath bacteria live in pits or fissure on the surface of the tongue. Listerine® Antiseptic mouthwash reduces bad breath because of high concentrations of antimicrobial agents in a liquid medium that can easily penetrate into these pits and fissures. This would not be possible with a solid dosage form containing low amounts of these antimicrobial ingredients. However, the preferred consumable film of the invention captures a significant portion of the hygienic benefits and the consumer appeal of LISTERINE® brand mouthwash, in a more portable and unobtrusively consumed form.

It was a significant challenge to maintain the essential oil interaction and relatively high oil content of LISTERINE® brand mouthwash in a film. However, the inventors have overcome this challenge in providing the film of the invention.

A further aspect of this invention is that while the amounts of LISTERINE® essential oils are relatively high for incorporation in a film, the film according to the present invention still delivers a lower total amount of essential oils per unit dose when compared to that of LISTERINE® mouthwash. Yet the film suprisingly provides antimicrobial efficacy in the oral cavity. The inventors theorize that the preferred film forming ingredient, pullulan, forms a thin layer on the oral surfaces entrapping the small amount of essential oils which are capable of penetrating into the pits and fissures of the oral cavity to provide sustained antimicrobial efficacy.

Although the inventors are presently unaware of any other breath-freshening consumable film that provides antimicrobial efficacy, they are aware of a consumable film disclosed in JP 5-236885, which is said to possess breath-freshening activity, but is not described as possessing any ingredients having significant antimicrobial activity. Moreover, JP 5-236885 teaches that its film should contain flavor and extract in amounts of 5 to 7 wt %, with the flavor being added as an oil (the essential oils are not disclosed), whereas the film of the invention preferably has an oil content of at least about 10 wt %, more preferably about 15 wt % to about 30 wt %, most preferably about 15 wt % to about 25 wt %. Except as otherwise noted in the examples, the amounts of oils and other ingredients in the film are wt % after the film formulation has been dried to create the film.

The amounts of the specific essential oils used in the film compositions can vary as long as they are in amounts sufficient to provide antimicrobial efficacy. Generally the amount of thymol, methyl salicylate and eucalyptol is from about 0.01 to about 4 wt % of the film composition, preferably about 0.50 to about 3.0 wt % and even more preferably from about 0.70 to about 2.0 wt % of the film. Menthol can be added from about 0.01 to about 15 wt % of the composition, preferably about 2.0 to about 10 wt % and even more preferably from about 3 to about 9 wt % of the film. The amounts added can be readily determined to those skilled in the art and can exceed these amounts as long as the total oil content does not create sticking or other processing problems. In certain embodiments, the essential oils are combined in amounts synergistically effective to kill the plaque-producing germs that cause dental plaque, gingivitis and bad breath.

A major difficulty in formulating a film having such a relatively high oil content is that simply increasing the amount of oil in the film without determining the precise proportions of the many other ingredients typically results in a film that is too moist and therefore difficult to handle or process. The inventors have discovered how to provide a high oil content film that is moist enough so that it is not brittle, but is not so moist that it feels undesirably slimy or significantly adheres to adjacent films. Thus, a non-self-adhering film according to the invention can be stored in contact with another such film (e.g., in a stack), or can be wound about itself (e.g., around a spool), without having to place a non-stick agent (e.g., a plastic film, paper or other support) between adjacent portions of film.

The film-forming agent used in the films according to the present invention can be selected from the group consisting of pullulan, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, polyethylene glycol, xanthan gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum, acacia gum, arabic gum, polyacrylic acid, methylmethacrylate copolymer, carboxyvinyl polymer, amylose, high amylose starch, hydroxypropylated high amylose starch, dextrin, pectin, chitin, chitosan, levan, elsinan, collagen, gelatin, zein, gluten, soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, casein and mixtures thereof. A preferred film former is pullulan, in amounts ranging from about 0.01 to about 99 wt %, preferably about 30 to about 80 wt %, more preferably from about 45 to about 70 wt % of the film and even more preferably from about 60 to about 65 wt % of the film.

The film of the invention preferably comprises pullulan as a film-forming agent and the essential oils as antimicrobial/flavoring agents, and can further comprise water, additional antimicrobial agents, additional film-forming agents, plasticizing agents, additional flavoring agents, sulfur precipitating agents, saliva stimulating agents, cooling agents, surfactants, stabilizing agents, emulsifying agents, thickening agents, binding agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, fragrances, and the like.

Due to the relatively high oil content in the oral care film, it is preferable to avoid substantial amounts of humectant in the film (and more preferable to have no humectant in the film), so as to avoid producing an overly moist