Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Erythritol stops growth of gum disease bacteria in dogs
By Mamu Shimizu et al.·Published in Heliyon·2022·Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan, GB·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Erythritol inhibits the growth of periodontal-disease-associated bacteria isolated from canine oral cavity
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that erythritol, a safe sugar alcohol for dogs, can help control bacteria that cause periodontal disease (PD) in dogs. Periodontal disease is a common oral issue in dogs, often due to a lack of daily dental care. Unlike xylitol, which is toxic to dogs, erythritol can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria found in the mouths of dogs with PD. This suggests that using erythritol could be a beneficial way to manage oral health in dogs and prevent periodontal disease in the future.
People also search for: dog periodontal disease treatment · safe sugar for dogs · how to prevent dog gum disease
Abstract
Periodontal disease (PD) is the most common oral disease that is caused by infection with periodontal-disease-associated bacteria (PDAB) such as Porphyromonas gulae and Porphyromonas macacae in dogs as well as in humans. Unlike humans, most dogs do not follow daily oral hygiene routine, and this results in many dogs being affected by PD. Thus, to prevent PD, it is important to control PDAB. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that inhibits the growth of oral bacteria in humans. However, xylitol is poisonous to dogs and can lead to hypoglycemia and hepatic failure. Herein, we show the inhibitory effect of erythritol, a sugar alcohol that can be used safely in dogs, on the growth of PDAB isolated from dogs with PD. Oral bacteria were isolated from the oral cavities of dogs with PD, and the distribution of PDAB was evaluated. Interestingly, Porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacterium typically responsible for PD in humans, was not isolated from dog samples. The bacteriostatic effect of erythritol supplementation was investigated on isolated PDAB in vitro. Our results show that erythritol exert bacteriostatic effects on PDAB comparable to xylitol. Thus, application of erythritol can be suggested to control PDAB in dogs in the future.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10224