The Safety of Licorice Extract Gel for Potential Use in Oral Care

Herbal medicine offers alternative ways to combat antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of human diseases. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, which has been increasingly explored in dentistry for its potential benefits in managing oral diseases. The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the cytotoxicity of licorice extract gel against Human Oral Fibroblast (HOrF) cells for potential use in oral and dental care.

The gel was formulated by incorporating ethanolic licorice extract into a carbomer-based gel base. To measure cytotoxicity, HOrF cells were used. Cytotoxicity was assessed by measuring the number of live cells at 24, 48, and 72 h time intervals. The plate containing HOrF cells without any substance was considered the control group.

The results showed that licorice extract gel (100 µg/mL) did not show cytotoxicity on HOrF cells at the experimented time points. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the cytotoxicity of licorice extract gel [100 µg/mL] between the control and test group at any time of 24, 48, and 72 h.

Due to the non-toxicity of licorice extract gel (at 100 µg/Ml) on HOrF, other oral formulations can be prepared from this material in the studied concentration. It should be noted that the clinical use of this substance requires more animal and human investigations.