Maria Chatzimarkaki
University of West Attica, Campus 1, Greece
Title: Development of safe baby gums gel for the pain relief
Biography
Biography: Maria Chatzimarkaki
Abstract
First teeth of babies, when it comes out, cause an intense pain since the gums are swelled and burst. Most products developed for this pain relief are medicines and contain pharmaceutical active ingredients, such as lidocaine etc., with a topical anesthetic action. We have developed a gel which is considered as a medical device product with natural actives such as Arnica extract, Sage, and Myrrh and Licorice extracts with anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, hydrating and soothing properties. The main natural pain-relieving activity is attributed to Clove essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum) at concentration of 0.12% w/w. Clove oil contains eugenol and is considered safe at low concentrations, but when it is used at higher concentrations, it may cause adverse events, such as irritations and allergies. Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate were used for the gel preservation and tasteless and odorless cellulose gum was used for the formulation. Toxicological study was carried out in order to evaluate the possible irritating effects of this case-sensitive product. A specific oral mucosa irritation test was performed according to ISO 10993-10:2010 for five consecutive days on six male hamsters. Three (treated group) treated with test product and three (control group) treated with sodium chloride injection. The test product was inserted directly on the right oral cavity of every animal. Twenty-four (24) hours after the last treatment, all the animals were sacrificed; then the oral cavity mucosa was taken to perform the histological examination. The results obtained during the study proved that the above natural baby gums gel for the pain relief is non-irritant and can be considered safe for the use by babies.