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SudhirMishra/Pioneer/Balangir

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Now, a pain-killing gel from Amazonian plant!

WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 2012 18:21

PTI | LONDON

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Scientists claim to have developed a gel from a rare red and yellow plant found in the Amazonian rainforest, that can be used as a remedy for severe toothache.

Using extracts from Acmella oleracea plant, a team at Cambridge University has produced the gel which blocks the pain receptors found in nerve endings -- and could be on the market in only two years, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The scientists say that the ancient herbal remedy is so potent that it might even replace uncomfortable anaesthetic injections for certain procedures and provide a natural remedy for teething babies.

In fact, Cambridge University's anthropologist Dr Francoise Barbira Freedman came across the budded plant more than 30 years ago when living with a secretive Peruvian tribe known for practising shamanism.

During her trip she suffered severe pain in her wisdom teeth. She was given the remedy by the tribe's medicine men and the discomfort "went away immediately". Years later, she was asked to provide Cambridge with examples of rainforest remedies, and added the Acmella oleracea plant to the list.

Describing the inclusion as an "afterthought", she said: "It was added to the bottom of the list, but somehow the list got reversed, and it was the first one tested back in the UK. It was immediately successful and we've never looked back."In early trials, it helped relieve pain during removal of teeth that were impacted, or stuck below the gum line.

The gel was also considered more efficient than the standard anaesthetic used when patients with gum disease need pain relief for scaling and polishing. The effects lasted longer, and patients were more likely to attend follow-up appointments.

In informal tests carried out by a Peruvian dentist, the plant extract also helped treat mouth ulcers and ease pain caused by dentures, braces, gum disease and having teeth removed. And to top it off, there are no known side-effects.

Dr Freedman, who plans to share any profits from the sale of the gel with the Keshwa Lamas community in Peru, said: "This treatment for toothache means we could be looking at the end of some injections in the dentist's surgery.

"We've had really clear results from tests so far, particularly for procedures such as scaling and polishing, and there are many other potential applications."