A new review finds that garlic extract may match the antimicrobial power of chlorhexidine, suggesting it could become a natural alternative in oral care.
Garlic extract may work as effectively as well-known antiseptics and disinfectants such as chlorhexidine, according to researchers from the University of Sharjah.
In a study published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine, the team reports that garlic-based mouthwash can cause more discomfort than chlorhexidine but appears to remain active for a longer period after use.
“Chlorhexidine is widely used as a gold standard mouthwash but is associated with side effects and concerns over antimicrobial resistance,” the authors note. “Garlic (Allium sativum), known for natural antimicrobial properties, has emerged as a potential alternative.”
Their conclusions come from a systematic review that examined how garlic extract performs compared with chlorhexidine in real-world clinical settings and evaluated whether it could serve as a herbal replacement.
To ensure a rigorous approach, the researchers followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses 2020 guidelines, which aim to improve the reliability and transparency of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. They also applied the PICO framework, a method used to structure clinical research questions and guide evidence-based evaluations.
“A total of 389 articles were identified from six electronic databases in January 2024, and an additional 13 articles were included through manual citation searching. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, only five articles were included,” the authors report.
