Clinical evaluation of a luteolin‐based dental gel on dental plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation in dogs

Abstract

Objectives The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a luteolin‐based dental gel in reducing microbial dental plaque accumulation and gingival bleeding in dogs, leveraging luteolin's known antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory properties. Materials and Methods Six healthy beagle dogs underwent professional dental scaling and polishing under general anaesthesia on day 0. For the following 30 days, a dental gel containing luteolin was applied topically once daily to all dogs' teeth while they were maintained on a commercial dry diet. At the end of this treatment phase, professional scaling was repeated, plaque was stained using FD&C blue #1 and D&C red #28 (Young 2Tone), and the teeth were photographed under general anaesthesia. A subsequent 30‐day placebo phase followed using a gel containing only excipients, produced with the identical method to that of the luteolin dental gel and using the same application protocol. Plaque coverage on selected teeth was quantified using the QuPath software. Results Quantitative analysis showed a significant reduction in plaque accumulation during the luteolin treatment phase compared to the placebo, and statistical analysis using both parametric and non‐parametric methods confirmed these differences were significant. Clinical Significance The findings suggest that daily application of a luteolin‐based dental gel effectively reduces microbial plaque formation and gingival bleeding in dogs, indicating its potential as a natural preventive and therapeutic agent for periodontal disease. Further studies are recommended to confirm these findings and evaluate long‐term efficacy in larger populations.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2026 · DOI ↗