Effect of the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol) on oral environment in periodontal disease

Kaneka Corporation (Osaka, Japan; President: Mr. Kimikazu Sugawara) confirmed the effects of the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (hereafter, Ubiquinol) in improving oral environment for periodontal disease*1 in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial*2. The research was conducted in collaboration with Associate Prof. Naoyuki Sugano, Department of Periodontology, Nihon University School of Dentistry. These results were presented at “The 63rd Meeting of the Vitamin Society of Japan” held in Hiroshima on June 4th and 5th, 2011.

*1 Periodontal disease (pyorrhea alveolaris) is an inflammatory disease caused by periodontal bacteria living in plaque, and it is known that oxidative stress in saliva is increased by periodontal disease. The degree of periodontal disease is evaluated by measuring periodontal pocket depth, bleeding, gingival recession, foul breath, etc.

*2 Test method that neither subjects nor investigative doctors knew which were the ubiquinol capsules or placebo capsules (without ubiquinol) to improve the objectivity of clinical study.

Forty five volunteers with mild to middle degree of periodontal disease (37 men, 8 women, average age: 39.4 years old) were administered ubiquinol (150 mg/day) or placebo for 2 months. Plaque adhesion, pocket depth, bleeding, gingival recession, foul breath and saliva anti-oxidative activity were examined before (Baseline) and after one and two months of the treatment.

As a result, after two months of the treatment, statistically significant improvements in plaque adhesion (Significant decrease from 60.8±12.6% to 49.3±24.7%) and bleeding by probing (Significant decrease from 31.2±21.5% to 24.9±20.6%) were observed in the ubiquinol group. Also, statistically significant improvement in breeding by probing (Decrease from 36.2±17.6% to 29.6±18.6%) was observed in the placebo group.
As to saliva antioxidant activity, whereas statistically significant decrease of saliva antioxidant activity was observed in the placebo group (56.8±13.8% to 50.4±8.1%), tendency to increase saliva antioxidant activity was observed in the ubiquinol group (62.9±12.5% to 65.2±18.5%). In the evaluation of foul breath, tendency of decrease was also observed in the ubiquinol group (63.8±83.5ppb to 31.6±22.6ppb).

Since these results suggest that ubiquinol is effective in improving oral environment in periodontal disease, the further research on ubiquinol application for periodontal disease and its mechanism of action would be conducted.

Plaque adhesion
(%) Bleeding
(%) Periodontal pocket depth
(mm) Foul breath
(ppb) Antioxidant activity
(%)
Placebo group (n=25)
Baseline
4 weeks
8 weeks
63.7±17.9
60.0±20.3
57.8±21.5
36.2±17.6
30.7±17.9
29.6±18.6*
2.2±0.4
2.2±0.5
2.3±0.5*
72.6±132.1
43.0±37.1
65.7±69.6
56.8±13.8
53.0±10.2
50.4±8,1*

Ubiquinol group (n=20)
Baseline
4 weeks
8 weeks

60.8±12.6
58.3±20.7
49.3±24.7*

31.2±21.5
24.3±19.9*
24.9±20.6*

2.0±0.2
2.0±0.3
2.0±0.4

63.8±83.5
38.8±91.8
31.6±22.6

62.9±12.5
59.1±14.9
65.2±18.5

*p<0.05 Significant difference from baseline