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NO synthesis in human saliva
C A Palmerini1, R Palombari, S Perito
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Via del Giochetto, Università di Perugia, 06122 Perugia, Italy. crlpal@unipg.it
Free Radical Research
|March 26, 2003
Abstract:
Human saliva contains nitrate that is converted into nitrite by the activity of facultative, anaerobic bacteria of the oral cavity. Nitrite can be reduced to NO in the acidic gastric milieu; some NO may also form in the mouth at acidic pH values. In this paper, we show that bacteria (S. salivarius, S. mitis and S. bovis) isolated from saliva, may contribute to NO production in human saliva. NO formation by bacteria occurs at neutral pH values and may contribute to the antibacterial activity of saliva.