Abstract
Saliva is an interesting, non-conventional, valuable diagnostic fluid. It can be collected using standardized sampling device; thus, its sampling is easy and non-invasive, it contains a variety of organic metabolites that reflect blood composition. The aim of this study was to validate a user-friendly method for the simultaneous determination of low molecular weight metabolites in saliva. We have optimized and validated a high throughput, direct, low-cost reversed phase liquid chromatographic method with diode array detection method without any pre- or post-column derivatization. We indexed salivary biomolecules in 35 whole non-stimulated saliva samples collected in 8 individuals in different days, including organic acids and amino acids and other carbonyl compounds. Among these, 16 whole saliva samples were collected by a single individual over three weeks before, during and after treatment with antibiotic in order to investigate the dynamics of metabolites. The concentrations of the metabolites were compared with the literature data. The multianalyte method here proposed requires a minimal sample handling and it is cost-effectiveness as it makes possible to analyze a high number of samples with basic instrumentation. The identification and quantitation of salivary metabolites may allow the definition of potential biomarkers for non-invasive “personal monitoring” during drug treatments, work out, or life habits over time.
Highlights
Low molecular weight metabolites are the final products of cellular processes, and their concentration in cells or biological fluids may reflect the response of biological systems to internal or environmental factors [1]
We recently demonstrated that salivary metabolites might be a reliable “mirror” of gut metabolites, by investigating the dynamics of salivary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a subject over time during antibiotic intake [70]
To test the potentiality and sensitivity of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)-UV method for microbiota-related investigations, we report here the application to the simultaneous determination of the major metabolites present in 16 saliva samples collected from a single healthy subject before, during and following antibiotic treatment
Summary
Low molecular weight metabolites are the final products of cellular processes, and their concentration in cells or biological fluids may reflect the response of biological systems to internal (e.g., enzyme activity and gene expression) or environmental factors (toxic agents) [1]. Most of these metabolites are characterized by the presence of the carboxylic functional group, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), molecules of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, dicarbonyl and hydroxycarbonyl compounds, ketone bodies and amino acids [2,3]. Public Health 2020, 17, 6158; doi:10.3390/ijerph17176158 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
