An Investigation of the Physical Properties of Saliva and their Relationship to the Mucin Content

Abstract

Several physical properties characteristic of non-Newtonian fluids, such as anomalous viscosity, flow elasticity, tack and spinnbarkeit, are described, and methods for measuring them are reported. Evaluations of methods for determining mucin content of saliva indicated that tyrosine estimation and a modified A.C.R.A. test gave satisfactory results on suitable samples. Measurements on 700 samples of saliva made within one hour of secretion revealed some relationship between viscosity, spinnbarkeit, and the content of polymerized mucin as measured by the A.C.R.A. titer. No relation of these physical properties to tyrosine content or tack was found. Variations in all properties were periodically noted during the day and also from day to day in the same individuals. It appears that the methods of collecting and treating salivary samples are of great importance in studies of salivary properties.