Effect of catechin diet on gingivitis in cats

We examined the effect of catechin diet on gingivitis in cats. Gingival inflammation, oral malodor, and percentage of Porphy-romonas were decreased after feeding of diet with catechin compounds. We sug-gest that feline gingivitis can be controlled by phytomedical activities of catechin in pet food. Twenty nine cats affected with gingivitis were fed either a catechin diet of 0.8 mg/g or 0.4 mg/g of catechin or a control diet and assessed for gingival inflamma-tion, oral malodor, and percentage of the genus Porphyromonas present. The catechin diet showed an anti-inflammatory effect, a deodorant effect, and a decrease in Porphy-romonas compared with the control diet. This suggests that the catechin in diet has the potential to reduce gingivitis resulting from the bacterial growth and virulence factors in cats.