High-resolution taxonomic examination of the oral microbiome after oil pulling with standardized sunflower seed oil and healthy participants: a pilot study

Tim Griessl,Eugen Domann,Silke Zechel-Gran,Torsten Hain,Markus Weigel,Stefan Olejniczak

doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03582-0

Tim Griessl, Eugen Domann + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03582-0

Copy DOI

Abstract

ObjectivesWe aimed at the high-resolution examination of the oral microbiome depending on oil pulling, compared it with saline pulling, and analyzed whether the method is capable of reducing the overall microbial burden of the oral cavity.Materials and methodsThe study was a cohort study with three healthy subjects. Oil pulling samples, saline pulling samples, and saliva samples were microscoped and cultured under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions; colony-forming units were counted; and cultivated bacteria were identified employing MALDI-TOF MS. The oral microbiomes (saliva) and the microbiota incorporated in oil and saline pulling samples were determined in toto by using 16S rDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics.ResultsMicroscopy revealed that oral epithelial cells are ensheathed with distinct oil droplets during oil pulling. Oil pulling induced a higher production of saliva and the oil/saliva emulsion contained more bacteria than saline pulling samples. Oil pulling resulted in a significant and transient reduction of the overall microbial burden in comparison to saliva examined prior to and after pulling. Both oil and saline pulling samples mirrored the individual oral microbiomes in saliva.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of this pilot study, it might be concluded that oil pulling is able to reduce the overall microbial burden of the oral cavity transiently and the microbiota in oil pulling samples are representative to the oral microbiome.Clinical relevanceWithin the limitations of this pilot study, it might be concluded that oil pulling can be considered as an enlargement of standard oral hygiene techniques since it has the characteristic of an oral massage, enwrapping epithelial cells carrying bacteria in oil vesicles and reaching almost all unique habitats in oral cavity.

Highlights

The oral cavity is a very complex space of the human body providing unique habitats for microbial colonization comprising buccal and vestibular mucosa, lips, cheek, palate, tongue, and natural and artificial solid surfaces
Phenotypes of oral epithelial cells derived from saliva, saline pulling, and oil pulling samples were significantly different
The phenotypes of oral epithelial cells derived from the three sample types were significantly different: saliva samples showed loads of protein aggregates around epithelial cells (Fig. 2a) which were barely visible in saline pulling samples (Fig. 2b) and oil pulling samples (Fig. 2c)

Summary

Introduction

The oral cavity is a very complex space of the human body providing unique habitats for microbial colonization comprising buccal and vestibular mucosa, lips, cheek, palate, tongue, and natural (teeth) and artificial solid surfaces (dental materials). The characteristic of the oral cavity is the special balanced contention between bacterial colonization and the often broken barrier between bone and environment (periodontitis, dental implants, traumata) both by the influence of the immune system and saliva which contains IgA, lactoferrin, lysozyme, growth factors, and cellular defense mechanisms [1,2,3]. Members of the bacterial microbiota are mainly responsible for local and distant-site infections, in particular in the case of poor oral hygiene. Gingivitis, and periodontitis [4, 5]. Women with periodontitis show a higher prevalence of preterm low birth weight infants [9, 12]

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion