Research on the practical use of electrolyzed acidic functional water as a mouthwash for super-elderly people

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K10057
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57050:Prosthodontics-related
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: ASANO Masatake 日本大学, 歯学部, 教授 (10231896)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西尾 健介 日本大学, 歯学部, 助教 (50780558)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 電解酸性機能水 / 含嗽剤 / 殺菌効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Electrolyzed acid functional water (FW) is obtained by electrolyzing salt water, and has an extremely high bactericidal effect. Aiming for practical use as a mouthwash for super-elderly people who have difficulty physically cleaning their mouths, we compared the bactericidal effect with a commercially available mouthwash. As a result, it was demonstrated that FW exhibited comparable bactericidal effects compared to other mouthwashes, and was also superior in safety. In addition, experiments using oral cancer-derived cultured cells have revealed that FW promotes the extracellular release of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1a), a type of inflammatory cytokine. Since the regulation of IL-1a secretion is extremely important in the control of inflammatory diseases, we also investigated its molecular mechanism.

Free Research Field

口腔病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生理機能の低下などにより、歯ブラシなどの物理的口腔清掃が困難な超高齢者は、誤嚥性肺炎などを発症するリスクが高い。本研究で用いた電解酸性機能水（FW）は、極めて高い殺菌効果を有することが明らかとなった。FWは、食塩水の電気分解で得られる水で、安価なうえに安全性にも優れている。FWを超高齢者の口腔清掃に応用できれば、健康寿命の延伸にも寄与するものと考えられる。こうした取り組みは、超高齢社会の到来とともに危惧される社会保障費の抑制にもつながる可能性があり、社会的に極めて意義深いものと考える。