Comparison of Cariogenic Organic Acid Concentrations According to Combined Use of Sucrose and Sugar Alcohols

Objective: This study involves a quantitative analysis of organic acids (lactate, acetate, propionate, formate, butylate, pyruvate, and valeric acid) concentrations after applying sucrose and sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol in the oral cavity. Methods: Saliva samples were obtained from five volunteers before and up to 60 min after oral washing with sucrose and sugar alcohol (xylitol and erythritol). Concentrations of seven organic acids (lactate, acetate, propionate, formate, butyrate, pyruvate, and valerate) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using ion chromatography with conductivity detection. Results: The combination of sucrose and sugar alcohols, particularly erythritol, led to lower average lactate levels compared with 10% sucrose. Moreover, 1:1 post hoc analysis revealed that the levels of acetate and propionate decreased in the group treated with 2.5% and 7.5% of erythritol compared with those treated with xylitol (p < 0.05). However, the results did not indicate concentration dependence; owing to the small sample size (n = 5) these findings must be interpreted with care. This necessitates follow-up research, including oral bacterial testing and studies with larger sample sizes. Conclusions: The concentrations of organic acids varied with respect to the combined administration of sucrose and sugar alcohols. Further studies are necessary to investigate the effect of other sugar alcohols on bacterial growth.