Therapeutic potential of solubilized nanolignin against oral diseases

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex biopolymer that is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Lignin, the main natural aromatic polymer, has a very complex and complicated structure that depends on the separation method and plant species. Their molecular weights fluctuate largely from monolignols to nanofibers, depending on pH, extraction conditions (pH, temperature, Fe 2+ / 3+ ) and shearing process. Limited digestion of LCC demonstrated the importance of lignin moiety, but not carbohydrate moiety for antihuman-immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity induction. Dehydrogenation polymers of p -coumaric acid, felluric acid, or caffeic acid showed much higher anti-HIV activity than their respective monomers, suggesting the importance of highly polymerized structures. [ 125 I]-labeled LCC rapidly bound to the virus and reduced its infectivity. Bioavailability of orally administered [ 125 I]-LCC was very low, validating its application through oral mucosa. Alkaline extraction was superior to hot water extraction in recovering anti-HIV activity from green tea, black tea, and oolong tea-leaves and licorice root. Oral intake of alkaline extract of Sasa senanensis Rehder leaf (SE) (OTC drug) and LCC/vitamin C tablet significantly improved the symptoms of lichenoid dysplasia and herpes simplex virus (HSV)-patients, respectively. Use of SE-enriched tooth-paste significantly reduced halitosis. These data suggest the applicability of solubilized nanolignin against various oral diseases.