Effect of Submaxillary-Sublingual and Whole Saliva from Caries-resistant and Caries-susceptible Rats on Rat Oral Lactobacilli and Streptococci

¹ Departments of Microbiology & Public Health, Zoology, and Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan

Whole and submaxillary-sublingual saliva from caries-resistant and caries-susceptible rats did not materially affect the mean rates and maximum limits of growth of 5 out of 6 strains of rat oral lactobacilli. Rat oral streptococci, when cultured in the presence of whole and submaxillary-sublingual saliva from resistants and susceptibles, showed an increase in the maximum amount of growth but not in the rate of growth. Whole susceptible saliva supported a greater maximum amount of growth of these streptococci than did whole resistant saliva. No difference in the submaxillary-sublingual saliva from the two lines of rats existed in this respect.