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Composite-based, tooth colored dental restorations, in spite of their aesthetic appeal, are limited by a short life span. Every subsequent restoration results in the loss of healthy dental tissue. Thus, a bio-mimetic approach has been developed to enhance the mechanical strength of dentin using plant-derived proanthocyanidins (PACs). From a panel of eight active plants, grape seed extract showed the highest dentin biomodification potential, a 15-fold enhancement of dentin stiffness measured in MPa.

Plant derived proanthocyanidins are well-established compounds exhibiting high dentin biomodification potency. Among the effects, enhanced tissue biomechanics and biostability are of relevance to restorative dentistry. This study evaluated the adhesive properties of an enriched proanthocyanidin primer on the bond strength of experimental resin-based adhesives containing variable concentrations of HEMA.

The ability of certain oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPACs) to enhance the biomechanical properties of dentin involves collagen cross-linking of the 1.3–4.5 nm wide space via protein–polyphenol interactions. A systematic interdisciplinary search for the bioactive principles of pine bark has yielded the trimeric PAC, ent-epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin-(2β→O→7,4β→8)-catechin (3), representing the hitherto most potent single chemical entity capable of enhancing dentin stiffness. Building the case from two congeneric PAC dimers, a detailed structural analysis decoded the stereochemistry, spatial arrangement, and chemical properties of three dentin biomodifiers.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are secondary plant metabolites that mediate nonenzymatic collagen cross-linking and enhance the properties of collagen based tissue, such as dentin. The extent and nature of cross-linking is influenced by the composition and specific chemical structure of the bioactive compounds present in certain PAC-rich extracts. This study investigated the effect of the molecular weight and stereochemistry of polyphenol compounds on two important properties of dentin, biomechanics, and biostability. For that, purified phenols, a phenolic acid, and some of its derivatives were selected: PAC dimers (A1, A2, B1, and B2) and a trimer (C1), gallic acid (Ga), its esters methyl-gallate (MGa) and propyl-gallate (PGa), and a pentagalloyl ester of glucose (PGG).

The polyphenol source and molecular structure complexity affects interactions of proanthocyanidins (PACs) with dentin matrix. Therefore, this study evaluated the dentin bioactivity of compounds from a non-galloylated PACs-rich extract.