Abstract
Objectives: Zinc plays an important role in the homeostasis of the human body. In the oral cavity, its absence causes hypogeusia. Zinc supplementation acts improving taste acuity and oral lesions healing. However, some aspects regarding to salivary zinc contents and syalometric variables, as well as, its variations among age-related groups, are lacking. The objective of this study was to measure the zinc concentration in the saliva in different age range.Methods: One hundred and twenty healthy individuals have donated saliva and they were divided in to four groups according to age: Group I = 18-29 years old; Group II = 30-39 years old; Group III: 40-49 years old and Group IV: 50-59 years old.Results: The research revealed that there are differences between salivary parameters, salivary flow rate, buffering capacity and pH, when they are correlated with the zinc present in saliva, but the salivary zinc concentration is not age dependent.Conclusion: pH and BA had no influence in the salivary zinc concentration, but the salivary flow can interfere in the zinc concentration.
Highlights
Saliva presents various innate and acquired defense factors capable of inhibiting bacterial invasion, growth and metabolism by different mechanisms [1,3,5] such as bacterial adherence and streptococci acid production [4]
Once Fusobacterium nucleatum participates in bacterial plaque formation and zinc intervenes as a bacteriostatic agent, may be that this mineral is an important element in bacterial plaque and the reduction of gingivitis [14]
salivary flow rate (SFR) of individuals ranged from 1.52 to 1.94 mL/min and did not show statistical differences in the mean value according to the age ranges
Summary
Saliva presents various innate and acquired defense factors capable of inhibiting bacterial invasion, growth and metabolism by different mechanisms [1,3,5] such as bacterial adherence and streptococci acid production [4]. Zinc is a stable mineral element that is involved in numerous cell metabolism reactions [7] and that is responsible for general and oral health [8]. Other studies have shown that zinc have antimicrobial action against oral anaerobic bacteria, especially Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia inhibiting the catabolism of glutamate, glutamyl glutamate, glucose and fructose in these cells [13,14]. Once Fusobacterium nucleatum participates in bacterial plaque formation and zinc intervenes as a bacteriostatic agent, may be that this mineral is an important element in bacterial plaque and the reduction of gingivitis [14]
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