Salvadora persica
Sarakan toothpaste was developed after a British Army doctor who was serving in India noticed that his patients’ teeth and gum health were comparatively very good despite the general low quality of nutrition. He discovered that many used a "chewing stick" to clean and massage their teeth and gums. These small portions of twig came from a specific shrub, Salvadora persica (the toothbrush tree), which is widespread throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The doctor, on his return to the UK, decided to develop a toothpaste suitable for the European market with extract of Salvadora persica.