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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 59 (2021) 497–498

Letter to the Editor

Plant products in reducing spread of coronavirus infec- home. Plant products therefore can help to reduce the spread
tion (COVID-19) of coronavirus infection.

Sir
We have read the nice article by Vergara-Buenaventura
and Castro-Ruiz about the use of mouthwashes in dentistry
to reduce the number of microorganisms in the oral cavity.1
They recommended gargling for 30 seconds in the oral cav-
ity and 30 seconds in the back of the throat to reduce the
viral load of SARS-CoV-2 and the risk of cross-infection
during the pandemic. The use of chlorhexidine (CHX),
hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC),
and povidone-iodine (PVP-I) mouthwashes reduce the viral
load of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. Meiller et al observed that
Listerine® antiseptic mouthwash (containing phenolic com-
pounds)(Johnson & Johnson) can also help to reduce the the
presence of viral contamination in oral fluids for 30 minutes
after oral rinse.2
In their recent review, Levy et al noted that plant polyphe-
nols may help in the therapeutic strategy for the management
of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Polyphenols have antiviral,
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiobesogenic, antidiabetic,
antithrombotic, and prebiotic effects.3 In addition to polyphe-
nols, plants also contain terpenes and saponins. These
substances are present in the essential oils of medicinal plants
and are virucidal.4 Saponins are used as surfactants and
natural detergents. Soap also helps to kill coronavirus by
destroying the envelope of the virus. Saponins have properties
of foaming and because of this, can disrupt the lipid-based
envelope of the virus.5 Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii L.
Spreng) are rich in polyphenols, terpenes, saponins, chloro-
phyll, and carotene. They have been used in the preparation
of food in India and other neighbouring countries for many
years as they are aromatic. Curry-leaf mouthwash is as effec-
tive as chlorhexidine in treating plaque-induced gingivitis.6
The curry leaf plant can be grown easily and is safe. It is
economic to use as a mouthwash as it can be prepared at
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2020.11.005
0266-4356/© 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Conflict of interest
We have no conflicts of interest.
Ethics statement/confirmation of patients’ permission
Not applicable.
References
1. Vergara-Buenaventura A, Castro-Ruiz C. Use of mouthwashes against
COVID-19 in dentistry. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020;58:924–7.
2. Meiller TF, Silva A, Ferreira SM, et al. Efficacy of Listerine Antiseptic in
reducing viral contamination of saliva. J Clin Periodontol 2005;32:341–6.
3. Levy E, Delvin E, Marcil V, et al. Can phytotherapy with polyphenols
serve as a powerful approach for the prevention and therapy tool of novel
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab
2020;319:E689–708.
4. Cox-Georgian D, Ramadoss N, Dona C, et al. Therapeutic and medicinal
uses of terpenes. In: Joshee N, Dhekney SA, Parajuli P, editors. Medicinal
plants: from farm to pharmacy. 2019. p. 333–59. Springer.
5. Kregiel D, Berłowska J, Witońska IA, et al. Saponin-based, biological-
active surfactants from plants. In: Najjar E, editor. Application and
characterization of surfactants. InTech; 2017. p. 183–205.
6. Varghese A, Babu HM, Kukkera PN. Comparative evaluation of efficacy
of Murraya koenigii and chlorhexidine gluconate in the treatment of gin-
givitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Indian Soc Periodontol
2018;22:427–32.
M.V. Math
Y.R. Kattimani ∗
MGM Medical College Navi, Mumbai, 410209,
Maharashtra, India
R.B. Gadda
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology

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498 Letter to the Editor / British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 59 (2021) 497–498

R.M. Khadkikar ∗ Corresponding

author.
MGM Medical College Navi, Mumbai, 410209, E-mail address: yashoda.ravindra@yahoo.com
Maharashtra, India (Y.R. Kattimani)
Available online 17 November 2020

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January 30, 2022. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright ©2022. Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.