Effect of Fluorides on Salivary Amylase

Abstract

The fluorides, NaF, KF, NH4F, and Na2SiF6, were found to have no effect on the activity of salivary amylase in concns. varying from 1.7 to 8,550 parts per million of F present in 1 to 10 dilutions of salivas which stood for 1 hr. in the cold prior to testing amylolytic property. The same fluorides, when present in the enzyme-substrate mixture during the digestion period, in concns. varying from 0.76 to 760 parts per million of F in the substrate, had no final effect on enzyme activity. The salivas of school children whose drinking water contained an avg. of 1.8 parts per million of F showed no differences in amylolytic action from a similar group of salivas obtained under similar conditions from school children whose drinking water was free from fluoride.