Cariostatic Effect of Palatinose on Experimental Dental Caries in Rats

Abstract

Specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats infected with Strepto coccus mutans MT8148R(serotype c) developed a severe dental caries when fed a diet containing 56% sucrose (diet #2000). Complete replacement of the dietary sucrose with palatinose, a structural isomer of sucrose, however, resulted in negligible caries induction and plaque accumulation. Replacement of half of the sucrose content of diet #2000 with palatinose induced dental caries; however, the caries score was significantly lower than that induced by diet #2000. No significant reduction in caries development was observed when a quarter of the dietary sucrose was replaced with palatinose. © 1983, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Editorial Committee. All rights reserved.