Cariogenic Potential of Starchy Foods

Abstract

Starch is a common source of fermentable carbohydrates. It's slow absorption and degradation make it superior among other low molecular carbohydrates. Yet, current studies reflect incoherent claims about the cariogenic potentiality of starch. An evaluation analyzing the correlation of microbial and various physiochemical factors and demineralized quantity (radioisotope 32P) which was recently developed and introduced using polyacrylamide hydroxyapatite disc (PAHA) was performed through 11 starchy foods to determine the cariogenic potentiality in vitro affecting dental caries. Test subjects (11 starchy foods) were treated and prepared specified by a modified method from the Association Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Subjects included total 5 group of 11 starchy foods, measured both physiochemical & microbial factors

moisture content, total starch, hydrolyzed starch, pH, titratable acidity, total sugar, reducing sugar, texture, and total viable cell count after inoculation of S.mutans and demineralized quantification and degree of radioisotope 32P using PAHA

liquid scintillation count, scanning electronic microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Pearson correlation and stepwise regression were performed as a statistical evaluation to analyze the caries-associated variable by SPSS software for Windows (version 23.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and IBM Watson Analytics (cognitive analytics). The total average of moisture content, starch, hydrolyzed starch, pH, titratable acidity, total sugar, reducing sugar, TPA (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and adhesiveness) and total viable cells after inoculation of S. mutans in 11 test foods were 32.3%, 67.4%, 9.3%, 5.8, 0.38%, 245.1 mg/g, 17.5 mg/g, 2409.0, 0.57, 0.43, 621.5, -38.8 and 2.22 × 106/ml. With Pearson correlation coefficients (r) of caries-associated variables, including total starch, hydrolyzed starch, titratable acidity, reducing sugar and TPA results, including hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, adhesiveness were significant at p < 0.001 and pH, total sugar and springiness (TPA) presented p < 0.05 significance. Hydrolyzed starch, adhesiveness, total viable cells of S. mutans, moisture content and titratable acidity affected cariogenic potentiality significant at p < 0.001, reducing sugar presented p < 0.01 significance, springiness significant at p < 0.05 and an adjusted R² at 0.904 showed p < 0.05 significance, analyzing caries-associated variable factors by stepwise regression analysis. Caries associated multivariate analysis was authorized to assess cariogenic potential of starchy foods. Through statistical validation, quantifying demineralization in vitro by measuring radioisotope ³²P released from PAHA disc model showed a significance with other physiochemical factors. With PAHA, this study managed to quantify the starch-induced demineralization in vitro. While the method holds limited information than in situ or in vivo model in terms of providing oral physiological process, it standardized the various types, proportion and characteristics of both individual or bovine models and the PAHA disc was the best candidate. As a standardized matter, which is commonly totaled as enamel compound due to chemical resemblance, it clearly presented a reliability and reproducibility throughout the research. Finally, this data was contributed to the national oral health to mark the cariogenic potential index in starchy foods.