Acid Production in Saliva in-Vitro Experiments

Abstract

Saliva in in-vitro expts. does not produce acid as rapidly as it is produced in the mouth. Because sugar is cleared from the mouth in a short time, the rate of acid production in saliva-sucrose mixtures was studied for 90 min. only. In these studies acid production, at a rate comparable to that in the mouth, was obtained from concd. centrifugates of saliva. Comparable rates were not observed when large numbers of lactobacilli were added to Seitz filtrates, high speed supernatants or untreated portions of saliva. Unaltered filtrates, supernatants and salivas subjected to ultrasonic vibration were incapable of producing acid from sucrose. Lactobacilli added to the latter prepn. resulted in formation of a small amt. of acid. These expts. suggest there is some feature of saliva associated with the residual matter after centrifugation or filtration, which influences the rapidity of acid production from sucrose. Saliva subjected to a period of ultrasonic vibration behaves simularly to Seitz filtrates or high-speed supernatants.