Artificial saliva

The efficacy of artificial saliva in a systematic review of clinical trials indicates that all evaluated products reduce xerostomia symptoms, but the comparative effectiveness remains unclear due to study inconsistencies and potential biases.

The assessment of artificial saliva's efficacy reveals a consensus that all evaluated products contribute to reducing xerostomia symptoms in a systematic review of clinical trials.

However, in certain instances, users may experience symptoms indicative of an allergic reaction, such as rash, hives, itching, and swelling in the mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat and should consult a doctor.

[8] Cellulose derivatives are rheological modifiers, which are compounds responsible for the viscosity and texture of artificial saliva, enabling it to adhere to oral tissues and provide a protective and lubricating film.

[14] Minerals include: Buffering agents in artificial saliva maintain the pH levels, ensuring the oral environment remains within the optimal range for enamel protection and microbial balance.

Salivary proteins such as histatin, statherin and mucin, which possess antimicrobial, lubrication and biomineralisation properties, are targets of enhancement in artificial saliva research as they are significant in maintaining oral health.

[16] Recombinant mucins were less widely produced previously due to challenges imposed by the repetitive nature of their DNA sequences, which often results in highly truncated, suboptimal protein production.

[17] The downstream genetic expression system of recombinant salivary proteins is also a key area of research, as it affects glycosylation patterns that contribute to their stability and lubrication properties.

Efficient modification of glycosylation genes in host cells through genetic engineering techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 to produce salivary proteins with specific glycan phenotypes, which enhance the stability of artificial saliva.

[11] Fully synthesised molecules from a chemical engineering approach include mirror-image mucins and thio-mucins, produced from monomers incorporated with enantiomer amino acids and modified glycan linkages, respectively.

These structural analogs have tunable biodegradation rates while maintaining their ability to bind with salivary proteins, thus improving artificial saliva's stability and lubrication properties.

They are produced from the construction of new DNA sequences that express SUPs consisting of repetitive units encoding for glycine (G), valine (V), proline (P), and lysine (K) amino acids.

[19] Novel molecules developed to mimic partial structures of salivary proteins include chemically modified O-glycans, using methods such as direct oxidation and metabolic glycoengineering.