Italian Journal of Food Science, No3. Vol. 14, 2002, Page 279

Biological Activity of Saliva Against in Vitro LDL Oxidation After Chewing Commercial Chewing Gums 

N.K. Andrikopoulos, A.C. Kaliora, A.N. Assimopoulou, and V.P. Papageorgiou.

Laboratory of Food Chemistry – Biochemistry - Physical Chemistry. Department of Science of Dietetics-Nutrition. Harokopio University. 

Abstract 

The biological activity of the saliva from five different chewing gums, collected from six healthy volunteers, on the inhibition of low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, produced in vitro by copper ions, was demonstrated and quantitatively expressed as % protection (% Pr). Vitamin E (20 µM, 71.7% Pr), extract from the spearmint plant (50 mg, 63.0% Pr) and different concentrations of BHT synthetic antioxidant (0.014 µg/mL, 9.7% Pr) were used for comparisons. Chewing quantities (0.6, 1.5 and 3 g) and length of chewing time (first 0.25, 1, 3 h, between 0.25th and 3rd h or between 6th and 7th h) were evaluated. Under the usual chewing conditions (1.5 g, 1 h) crude Chios mastic gum was found to be the most effective (74.6% Pr) followed by commercial Chios mastic gum (64.3% Pr) and spearmint-flavored gum (61.2% Pr), while the strawberry-flavored gum had a low effect (11.5% Pr). Biologically active substances present in Chios mastic gum (3 g) extracts and in the respective saliva (1 h chewing) were characterized as (poly)phenolic compounds in quantities of 0.3 and 0.2 mg, respectively.

[Type: Paper]