In situ anticariogenic activity of free fatty acids after sucrose exposure to oral biofilms formed on enamel.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether the effect of sucrose on enamel is hampered by immediate free fatty acids exposure to the oral biofilm formed under a highly cariogenic environment, in situ.


METHODS
A split-mouth, cross-over and double-blind in situ experiment was carried out with 11 volunteers who wore palatal appliances containing bovine enamel slabs. In two 15-day phases, volunteers dripped 20% sucrose onto the slabs eight times per/day for 5 minutes followed by 5 additional minutes with suspensions of 10 mM oleic, linoleic or stearic acid or sucrose (caries-positive control), four times/day. Biofilms were analyzed for biomass, bacteria and polysaccharide formation and enamel demineralization was estimated by surface microhardness.


RESULTS
Biofilms exposed to oleic and linoleic acids showed significantly lower biomass than the control. S. mutans counts were reduced upon linoleic acid exposure (P< 0.05). All free fatty acids reduced polysaccharide formation (P < 0.05). Slabs exposed to 20% sucrose followed by free fatty acids had significantly lower demineralization than those exposed to sucrose alone, with reductions of 33%, 27% and 20% for linoleic, oleic and stearic acid, respectively. Data suggest that unsaturated free fatty acids exposed after sucrose might potentially reduce cariogenicity of the oral biofilm formed on enamel in situ, but further clinical confirmation is required.
Rodrigo A
RA
Giacaman
Ricardo
R
Valenzuela-Ramos
Cecilia
C
Muñoz-Sandoval
D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms; D018533:Biomass; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017001:Tooth Demineralization
D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D013395:Sucrose