Abstract

GESIME, JM; ACEVEDO, AM  and  LALAGUNA, F. Las Mucinas Salivales y sus implicaciones en la reología de la saliva humana y los sustitutos salivales. Acta odontol. venez [online]. 2009, vol.47, n.2, pp.446-452. ISSN 0001-6365.

In this review it is considered the rheological aspects of human saliva and salivary substitutes. Saliva has mucin like glycoproteins, which confer saliva its rheological properties, such as viscosity, lubrication and elasticity. Mucin molecules have gel forming properties; the dynamic of this process have been widely discussed. Mucin hydration is necessary for gelification and lubrication, mucin hydration confers saliva, viscosity, elasticity and lubrication properties, the hydration mechanism is based on a Donnan Equilibrium. The physiological concentration of mucins in human saliva is not sufficiently high to show gelification, however, this property can be displayed at higher concentrations. Sugar derivatives and animal mucins have been studied, either isolated or at mixtures for the development of salivary substitutes, these studies showed that mucin extracted from bovine submaxillary glands is best suited to accomplish the desirable parameters for a salivary substitute.

Keywords : saliva; mucin; rheology; salivary substitutes; viscosity; elasticity; lubrication.