Phytic Acid: Properties and Potential Applications in Dentistry

Abstract

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is the most abundant inositol phosphate in nature and an essential molecule for different biological functions. IP6 has a unique structure granting it distinctive properties; a high negative charge density provides IP6 with an immense chelating ability and valuable antioxidant properties. IP6 is also simple and cost-effective to produce. These features have attracted researchers and entrepreneurs to further study IP6 for a wide variety of applications in areas such as pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries, medicine, pharmacy, nutrition, and dentistry. The interest in IP6 in the dental field unfolded many decades ago following identification of a cariostatic ability and a positive impact on reducing enamel dissolution. Subsequently, IP6’s anti-plaque, anti-calculus and cement-forming properties have been investigated. Despite encouraging findings, there was a phase of decreased attention to IP6 which slowed down research progress. However, the potential use of IP6 has recently been revisited through several publications that provided deeper understanding into its mechanisms of action in the aforementioned applications. Studies have also explored new applications in endodontics, adhesive, preventive and regenerative dentistry, and IP6’s role in improving the characteristics and performance of dental materials. Evidence of the merits of IP6 in dentistry is now substantial, and this narrative review presents and discusses the different applications proposed in the literature and gives insights of future use of IP6 in the fields of orthodontics, implant and pediatric dentistry.

Antimicrobial Activity of Phytic Acid: An Emerging Agent in Endodontics

“…Despite use of IP6 in several medical, dental, nutritional, and industrial applications, there is limited knowledge concerning its antimicrobial effectiveness and mode of action. Elucidating such effects might result in the development of novel IP6 products for a range of applications, including in endodontics ( Nassar et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Phytic acid (IP6) is the major storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds and grain and is extracted using a simple and cost effective process ( Bloot et al, 2021 ). Due to its unique structure and distinctive properties, IP6 lends itself to several dental applications ( Nassar et al, 2021 ), such as dental adhesives ( Nassar et al, 2013 ; Forgione et al, 2021 ) and an endodontic irrigant ( Nassar et al, 2015 ). The high negative charge density of IP6 facilitates chelating activity with cations, thus IP6 has been proposed as an alternative root canal chelating agent with an ability to remove the smear layer, whilst also being biocompatible with osteoblast-like cells ( Nassar et al, 2015 ).…”

Resin-Based Cement Applied to Enamel and Dentin Pre-Treated with Phytic Acid: An In Vitro Study

“…The peculiar structure and the high-density negative charges of IP6 confer a great chelation and unique antioxidant abilities, making it suitable for several applications in dentistry. Despite the compelling data on the merits of IP6 use in dentistry, only very few studies have tested its effect on the bonding of dental adhesive systems to enamel and dentin [24]. We chose to use IP6 in a concentration of 1% on dentin and not higher, based on our pilot study results, where the higher concentrations resulted in an aggressive etching pattern on dentin which negatively affected adhesion (data are not shown).…”

Adsorption of Inositol Phosphate on Hydroxyapatite Powder with High Specific Surface Area

“…One of the authors, Aizawa and his colleagues, have reported the fabrication of a novel CPC cement using inositol phosphate (C 6 H 6 (OPO 3 H 2 ) 6 ; IP6) as a chelating agent [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. IP6 is abundant in grains such as wheat, rice, and corn, and it is commonly used as a food additive [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Furthermore, the phosphate group in IP6 is known to chelate against Ca 2+ ions in HAp. This chelating ability is as strong as that of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) [ 18 , 21 ]. The chelate-setting cement is mixed with the HAp particles with IP6 surface modification and pure water, and it sets due to the chelating effect of IP6.…”