The effect of saliva on the metabolism of the oral flora

A radiochemical assay for glycolytic activity in dental plaque

“…Since glycolysis is the major source of the energy needed for growth by many plaque bacteria, any materials that can supply growth factors are likely to stimulate glycolysis. So called "glycolysisenhancing factors" (Hay & Hartles 1965) may be amino acids, peptides and proteins of salivary origin. One such peptide has recently been purified and analysed (Holbrook & Molan 1975).…”

The identification of a peptide in human parotid saliva particularly active in enhancing the glycolytic activity of the salivary micro-organisms

“…Our observations on the nature of the factor may help to explain its mode of action in enhancing glycolysis. The hypothesis of Hay & Hartles (1965) was that the glycolysis-enhancing properties of saliva are, in the main, due to a mixture of free amino acids, peptides and proteins. They pointed out that the concentration of free amino acids alone is too low to provide more than suboptimal stimulation, but that thepeptides andproteins act as a potential source of amino acids for the stimulation of the anabolic processes of oral flora.…”

“…The enhancement of glycolysis effected by the fractions eluted from the column of Bio-Gel P-2 was assessed by the method of Hay & Hartles (1965), by using a Gilson differential respirometer. Bacteria obtained from the mouths of volunteers were incubated with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution (Umbreit et al, 1964), glucose solution and samples of the fractions to be tested.…”

“…It is considered to be of importance in dental health because of the implication of acid produced by microbial glycolysis in the initiation and progression of caries of teeth. Several workers have been concerned with the isolation and characterization of the factors responsible for the enhancement (Bramstedt et al, 1957a,b;Wasdell, 1962;Hartles, 1963; Kawasaki, 1964;Hay & Hartles, 1965, 1966; Guggenheim, 1966;Mishiro et al, 1966Mishiro et al, , 1969Mishiro et al, , 1970; Ishihara, 1967;Molan & Hartles, 1969Kirimura et al, 1970;Holbrook & Molan, 1973). However, only one of these factors, urea, has been positively identified (Molan & Hartles, 1969).…”