Identification of Salivary Microorganisms and Metabolites Associated with Halitosis.

Jae-Kwon Jo,Chang-Su Na,Seung-Ho Seo,Sun-Jae Kwon,Seong-Eun Park,Hong-Seok Son,Young-Ho Moon,Hyun-Woo Kim,Kwang-Moon Cho,Eun-Ju Kim

doi:10.3390/metabo11060362

Abstract

Halitosis is mainly caused by the action of oral microbes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in salivary microbes and metabolites between subjects with and without halitosis. Of the 52 participants, 22 were classified into the halitosis group by the volatile sulfur compound analysis on breath samples. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomics approaches were used to investigate the difference in microbes and metabolites in saliva of the control and halitosis groups. The profiles of microbiota and metabolites were relatively different between the halitosis and control groups. The relative abundances of Prevotella, Alloprevotella, and Megasphaera were significantly higher in the halitosis group. In contrast, the relative abundances of Streptococcus, Rothia, and Haemophilus were considerably higher in the control group. The levels of 5-aminovaleric acid and n-acetylornithine were significantly higher in the halitosis group. The correlation between identified metabolites and microbiota reveals that Alloprevotella and Prevotella might be related to the cadaverine and putrescine pathways that cause halitosis. This study could provide insight into the mechanisms of halitosis.

Highlights

The term ‘halitosis’ is used to describe an unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth, regardless of the cause or origin of the malodor [1]
Halitosis is largely divided into transient halitosis, extra-oral halitosis (EOH), and intra-oral halitosis (IOH) [3]
IOH, which accounts for 80–90% of total halitosis cases [3], is related to oral conditions, such as tongue coating, gingival and periodontal disease, deep carious lesions, and peri-implant diseases [5]

Summary

Introduction

The term ‘halitosis’ is used to describe an unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth, regardless of the cause or origin of the malodor [1]. Halitosis is largely divided into transient halitosis, extra-oral halitosis (EOH), and intra-oral halitosis (IOH) [3]. EOH is divided into bloodborne (diabetes, kidney, and liver disease) and non-bloodborne (respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases), accounting for 5–10% of total halitosis [3,4]. IOH, which accounts for 80–90% of total halitosis cases [3], is related to oral conditions, such as tongue coating, gingival and periodontal disease, deep carious lesions, and peri-implant diseases [5]. IOH is mainly caused by the putrefactive actions of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa [6]

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