REVIEW ON EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF MARKETED HERBAL TOOTHPASTE PRODUCTS BASED ON QUALITY PARAMETERS

Herbal toothpaste products have emerged as popular alternatives to conventional toothpaste due to growing consumer preference for natural and safer oral care formulations. These products are formulated using medicinal plant ingredients such as neem, clove, babool, miswak, mint, and aloe vera, which are traditionally known for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and plaque-reducing properties. Despite their widespread availability and claimed benefits, variations in formulation quality and performance among marketed herbal toothpaste products raise concerns regarding their safety, efficacy, and consistency. The present review aims to evaluate and compare marketed herbal toothpaste products based on standard quality parameters, including physical characteristics, physicochemical properties, performance efficiency, and safety aspects. Parameters such as color, texture, pH, spreadability, foaming ability, cleaning efficiency, stability, and microbial safety were critically analyzed from published literature. The review highlights that while many herbal toothpaste formulations demonstrate acceptable quality and oral health benefits, significant differences exist due to lack of standardization, variation in herbal ingredient concentration, and manufacturing practices. Overall, herbal toothpaste products offer advantages such as natural composition, suitability for long-term use, and reduced risk of side effects compared to synthetic formulations. However, the review emphasizes the need for standardized evaluation protocols, clinical validation, and stricter regulatory oversight to ensure consistent quality and consumer safety. This review provides useful insights for researchers, manufacturers, and regulatory authorities in improving the quality and reliability of herbal toothpaste products. Keywords:Herbal toothpaste, Oral hygiene, Quality evaluation, Marketed formulations, Physicochemical parameters, Safety assessment