Magnolia bark ‘can take bite out of bad breath’

Before coming to the conclusion, the researchers at chewing gum maker Wm Wrigley Jr Co tested magnolia bark’s germ killing ability and whether it could be used in a gum or mint, the Daily Mail reported on Friday.

The team found that magnolia bark extract, which has already proven effective against germs that cause ulcers, could also kill halitosis-causing bacteria — the findings are reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

They found it highly effective against three types of oral microorganisms, killing 99.9 per cent of bad breath bacteria within five minutes. Tests on nine healthy Wrigley employees, who chewed mints and gum containing the bark after lunch produced less dramatic but still potent effects. The mints killed off more than 61 per cent of the germs that cause bad breath within 30 minutes — comparable to some commercial mouthwashes. Mints without the extract were only 3.6 per cent effective.