this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2023
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Scientists Discover Natural Molecule That Eradicates Plaques and Cavities (scitechdaily.com)
submitted 1 year ago by Bobo@lemm.ee to c/science@beehaw.org
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Scientists have discovered that the molecule DIM reduces biofilms causing dental plaque by 90%. Its addition to toothpaste and mouthwash could revolutionize dental hygiene. 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) decreased the Streptococcus mutans biofilm, a leading contributor to plaque and cavities, by 90%.

A significant portion of the global population experiences persistent issues with dental plaque and cavities or will face them at some time. While toothpaste, mouthwash, and routine dental visits help in prevention, there’s always room for improvement.

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with teams from Sichuan University and the National University of Singapore, have identified that 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) – a naturally occurring molecule also referred to as bisindole – can reduce biofilms responsible for plaque and cavities by a remarkable 90%.

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[–] lvxferre@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I was hoping more for a to do list for my backyard, so I’ll have the molecule myself and not be beholden to Big Toothpaste.

I do not recommend you to do this in your backyard. And if doing this, just as a curiosity, not as a reliable production method; this is NurdRage tier, not "make bleach at home and avoid Big Tech" tier. That said, on a theoretical level, the synthesis would be simply

  • melt the indole (56°C, it's no biggie)
  • mix indole, excess dichloromethane, catalyst (aluminium chloride)
  • let them react for a few hours
  • add diluted hydrochloric acid (so you can remove the unreacted dichloromethane - the unreacted indole and the produced DIM should go to the aqueous solution)
  • remove the unreacted dichloromethane
  • neutralise the solution with some sodium hydroxide. Odds are that the DIM will precipitate first (it's bulkier and overall less polar), you can use this to separate it from unreacted indole.

You'll probably get a 10% of junk compounds where the methyl attaches itself to the wrong carbon of the indole. Those could be separated by careful crystallisation.

I’ve thought about using calcium carbide to create my own acetylene, cuz I’ve got all the equipment I would need to capture and compress it, but y’know, I like living, and acetylene isn’t THAT expensive. Risk≠reward.

As long as you take the proper security procedures, this is fairly safe. One of my uncles work with car soldering, and he produces acetylene at home.

Kind of hypocrite of me to say that, given that I have a scar on one of my arms from one of those reactions, but to be fair most people aren't as stupid as a 14yo mixing calcium carbide and water inside a glass bottle, and closing it. (It was 20 years ago. My family still mentions this.)