Effect of an Enzyme Chewing Gum on Whole Saliva Protease Levels

摘要

The release of proteolytic enzymes from a 1.5-gm. bolus of chewing gum containing 12 mg. of Rhozyme P-11 was studied. The chewing of this gum brought about tremendous increases in whole saliva protease levels, followed by a nonlinear decrease in concentration as chewing progressed. The curve that best fits this nonlinear decrease is: y = ab to the x power where y is tyrosine (mg./100 ml. saliva), x is time in minutes after introduction of the fresh stick of gum, and b is less than zero. Subjects responded in essentially the same fashion as each new stick of enzyme-containing gum was introduced. The response across four 30-minute periods with fresh gum was so similar that a single curve adequately described the response: log y = 3.1968 - .049827 (x). On the basis of this equation, it could be predicted that chewing a single stick of this enzyme gum would maintain the salivary protease concentration at a level higher than the control level for approximately 50 minutes. (Author)