‫بسم اهلل الرحمن الرحيم‬

Biochemistry of Saliva

Dr: Abou Sree Ellethy

College of Dentistry
lethy2009@qudent.org
 Saliva is produced in and secreted from acinar cells in salivary glands.
 The major salivary glands are called the parotid, submandibular and
sublingual glands.
 Daily secretion = 800-1500 ml/ PH = 6.2 to 7.4,
 Functions of Saliva

Protection
– barrier against noxious stimuli; microbial toxins and minor
traumas
– washing non-adherent and acellular debris
– formation of salivary pellicle
• calcium-binding proteins: tooth protection; plaque
Antimicrobial
– lysozyme hydrolyzes cell walls of some bacteria
– lactoferrin binds free iron and deprives bacteria of this
essential element
– IgA agglutinates microorganisms
 Functions of Saliva

Digestion
– neutralizes esophageal contents
– dilutes gastric chyme
– Forms food bolus

– Breake starch

Maintenance of tooth integrity

– Ionic exchange with tooth surface (calcium and phosphate ion)

Taste
– solubilizing of food substances that can be sensed by receptors, then trophic
effect on receptors
 Functions of Saliva

Buffering (phosphate ions and bicarbonate)

– bacteria require specific pH conditions
– plaque microorganisms produce acids from sugars

Tissue repair
– bleeding time of oral tissues shorter than other tissues
– resulting clot less solid than normal
– remineralization
 Composition of Saliva

1-Aqueous fluids
H2O, α-amylase, lingual lipase, IgA, kallikrein, muramidase (lyses muramic acid of
Staphylococcus) & lactoferrin.

2-Electrolytes or inorganics
• Ca, Ph, F, K, Na & Cl

• HCO3 defense enemal against acids (pH5.6) produced by cariogenic bacteria

• During hypotonic Saliva (low flow rate):

• High and HCO3 (Pushes pH of stimulated saliva up to 8)
• Low Na and CI−
3-Mucus secretion proteins
 Mucin
 Statherins
 Proline-rich Proteins
 Anti-microbial proteins
1)Lactoferrin
2)Histatins
3)Lysozyme
4)Cystatins
5)Salivary peroxidase
6)Secretory Immunoglobulins
 Saliva Enzymes

1) α-amylase, parotid glands

o It cleaves α -1 ,4-glycosidic bonds of starches such as amylose and
amylopectin
o Maltose is the major end-product (20% is glucose)
o Optimum pH is 7 and inactivated at pH 4 but continues to work for sometime
in unmixed food in oral portion of stomach
2) Lingual lipase (hydrophobic)
o It is secreted by von Ebner’s glands of tongue and hydrolyzes lipids
o It continues working into duodenum
 Mucus secretion proteins

(1) Mucins
 Asymmetrical molecules of globular proteins with polypeptide
backbone (apomucin) and side-chain of negatively charged
groups (e.g. sialic acid and bound sulfate).
 Hydrophillic (resists dehydration, high elasticity, adhesiveness,
and low solubility)
 Two major mucins (MG1 and MG2)
 Mucin Functions

 Lubrication &Visco-elasticity
 Tissue coating (protection)
 Aggregation of bacterial cells
 Bacterial adhere to mucins may result in surface attachment, or
 Mucin-coated bacteria may be unable to attach to surface
 Bacterial adhesion
 Mucin oligosaccharides mimic those on mucosal cell surface
 React with bacterial adhesins, thereby blocking them
 (2) Statherins

 Statherins prevent precipitation or crystallization of

supersaturated calcium phosphate in ductal saliva and oral fluid
 Lubrication and viscosity

(3) Proline-rich Proteins

 40% of amino acids is proline, Subdivided into three groups
(acidic, basic, glycosylated)
 Inhibitors of calcium phosphate crystal growth
 (4) Anti-microbial proteins
1- Lactoferrin
 Iron-binding protein
 Some microorganisms (e.g., E. coli) have adapted to this
mechanism by producing enterochelins.

2-Histatins
 A group of small histidine-rich proteins
 Protent inhibitors of Candida albicans growth
 3- Lysozyme (muramidase )

 Present in numerous organs and most body fluids

 hydrolysis of (1-4) bond between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-
acetylglucosamine in the peptidoglycan layer of bacteria.
 Gram negative bacteria generally more resistant than gram
positive because of outer lipid phosphate layer.
 4- Cystatins
 Are inhibitors of cysteine-proteases

 Considered to be protective against unwanted proteolysis

 bacterial proteases

 lysed leukocytes
 They inhibit proteases in periodontal tissues
 They affect on calcium phosphate precipitation
 5- Salivary peroxidases
 Sialoperoxidase (SP, salivary peroxidase)

• Produced in acinar cells of parotid glands

• Also present in submandibular saliva
• Readily adsorbed to various surfaces of mouth
• enamel, salivary sediment, bacteria, dental plaque
 Myeloperoxidase (MP)

• From leukocytes entering via gingival crevice

• 15-20% of total peroxidase in whole saliva

 6- Secretory Immunoglobulins

 Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody secreted by mucosal linings

in mucous secretions.

 IgA has two subclasses (IgA1 and IgA2) and can exist in a dimeric

form called secretory IgA (sIgA).

 The secretory component of sIgA protects the immunoglobulin

from the being degraded by proteolytic enzymes

 It plays a critical role in mucosal immunity.