Marine Enzymes Used to Clean Ship Hulls Possible to Protect Teeth from Decay

Posted On: July 8, 2012

Scientists are developing a unique seaweed toothpaste that can protect teeth and gums from bacteria in the mouth, which cause tooth decay.

Scientists from the Newcastle University discovered the new seaweed’s medicinal qualities while analysing an enzyme from the marine bacterium, Bacillus licheniformis, which is found on the surface of the seaweed.

The enzyme is usually used for cleaning the hulls of ships but now scientists claim that the enzyme can be used for cleaning the tooth because of its medicinal properties.

“When I initially began researching how to break down these layers of bacteria, I was interested in how we could keep the hulls of ships clear but we soon realized that the mechanism we had discovered had much wider uses. If we can contain it within toothpaste we would be creating a product which could prevent tooth decay,” said Dr Nicholas Jakubovics, researcher at the

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: algae, Aquapreneur, Bacillus licheniformis, biomaterials, functional ingredients, marine biotechnology, marine enzymes, marine extract, marine ingredients, microalgae, Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences, seaweed • No Comments