The Miswaak is older than Islam. But the Arab religion adapted the tool as its own. It has been recommended that the Miswaak be used in cleaning the tooth. The prophet Mohammed points out that the obligation for every Moslem to be clean at all times. It is then that the tool has gained a popular attention. It is interesting to note that even the medical organizations quite agree to the prophet’s views. Scientific studies say that the Miswaak is a natural material for brushing teeth.
The Arak or the Salvadora Persica tree is particularly widespread in the hot equatorial region of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and Egypt. Its roots and branches are picked to be made as Miswaak. This evergreen tree grows upright to a maximum height of three meters. Its leaves are small, oval and thick. The Persica tree has a mustard-like smell. The Miswaak can also be acquired from the Lime and Orange trees in Africa. In America, it can be derived from the Senna tree. As a natural toothbrush, the Miswaak consists of a compact group of small and natural fibers.
It is for this reason why this natural material is good for the gums. The toothbrush can secrete its own natural toothpaste. The fluids contain ten different natural chemical compounds beneficial for the tooth and gums. Helpful characteristics of the Miswaak include being a stain remover, teeth whiteners and protection against caries. It also contributes to the remineralization of tooth enamel. A freshly cut Miswaak provides a pleasant taste and smell. Only the fresh parts of the plant are being used as toothbrush. After 24 hours, the Miswaak is promptly disposed because of harmful components.
Contrary to the conventional toothbrush, the Miswaak is able to remove oral deposits more effectively. “Fresh Miswaak is brown in color, with a hot, pleasant taste. People usually strip off some of the Miswaak’s thin bark from one end, then chew that end a little to separate the fibers so that they become like the fibers of a normal toothbrush. They then use it to brush their teeth” (http://www. islamweb. net/ver2/archive/article. php? lang=E&id=139420). The plant is no longer fresh if it assumes a dark brown color. Its end is usually washed with water.
The fibers stand out like bristles of a toothbrush. Trimming of these fibers must be regularly done every 24 hours. WEALTH IN BRAZIL Applying the leaf alcohol of the maria milagrosa plant is not merely accidental. The founder of the French-Brazilian Drug Manufacturer, Ache, finds that wealth await in the forest of Brazil when he injured his leg during a football game. The leaf has been applied to his wound and it remedied the inflammation. Brazilian law initially restricted the patenting of pharmaceuticals coming from its country.
Observers have recognized the potential of the vast jungles traversed by the Amazon River. The area is a landscape filled with oil, gas, minerals and agricultural crops that promise to be a source of great biodiversity unseen in the other parts of the world. When the Brazilian government permitted business investors to gain patents on Brazilian products, it opened the doors towards the growth and development in the pharmaceutical industry. “Seven years of study, testing, and trials demonstrated the maria milagrosa compound to be both effective and safe.
The Brazilian public health authority approved the compound for sale in November 2004. Ache filed for patent protection in Brazil, the United States, and Europe. The anti-inflammatory cream Acheflan went on the market in the summer of 2005” (Ryan, 2007). The drug became the first patent-protected biomedical product to be developed by the host country from a natural source. Research and Development teams continue to gain entry into Brazil’s wide diversified range of natural resources in search for new products to be patented.