Researchers have organized the analysis and used samples voluntarily provided by a group of 27-to-33-year-old people and a group of 72-to-80-year-old people to conduct a detailed examination of the metabolites that make up human saliva. Metabolites are intermediate or final results of chemical events that take place in our bodies.
Though the experts have done a range of researches to detect the factors that keep the aging process on, this research has attracted the attention of experts from all countries.
Studying Aging Through Metabolite Changes In Saliva
Metabolic changes in a natural process, and experts have found the option of changing the same with the help of saliva tests, which can provide quick results. This technology is a novel one and hence got a better future in some more researches said a team member of the research team.
They can have anything to do with energy synthesis, digestion, growth, cell health, and so on. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers from the G0 Cell Unit at the Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) discovered 99 metabolites in saliva samples.
The amounts of 21 of these metabolites were significantly different between the two groups. The results they have got are truly amazing as far as the aging process conclusions are concerned, and hence they can offer more results in the coming days with some more tests.
Prof. Mitsuhiro Yanagida, who heads OIST’s G0 Cell Unit, noted, “Saliva has not before been fully researched for the changes that occur as one matures.” The team has already examined blood and urine samples and discovered that certain metabolites are connected to frailty and dementia. According to Prof. Yanagida, having these markers suggests that early detection and intervention should be achievable.
“Aging-related illnesses such as frailty and dementia make patients’ daily lives extremely challenging. Saliva also has a strong link to oral health. When a mouth does not function properly, eating becomes difficult, which is extremely harmful to one’s health. I am hoping that this research will help us better support the elderly”, he added.
The sample collection process was simple and painless. Twenty-seven Okinawan participants donated their saliva, which they collected at home. These were taken to the laboratory for examination. In general, the concentration of metabolites in the saliva is much lower than in blood or urine, making detection more difficult.
The researchers discovered 99 metabolites using a comprehensive technique, some of which were previously unknown in saliva. Saliva also provides information that represents biological aging, according to the researchers. Twenty metabolites were identified, including those linked to antioxidative activation.
“It’s fascinating that ATP, an energy-related molecule, increased 1.96-fold in the elderly,” said lead scientist Dr. Takayuki Teruya. “It’s possible that this is related to the elderly’s lower ATP usage.
Two metabolites associated with taste imply that the elderly lose some ability to taste. Others connected to muscle movement, such as swallowing, were among the metabolites that decreased in abundance. Together, these age-related salivary metabolites reveal a metabolic network that represents deterioration in oral function as people age.”
Even though this is the first complete investigation of saliva metabolites, the researchers intend to continue their research. They believe that saliva will be a sample that can be given quickly and simply while still providing a wealth of information about a person’s health and quality of life in the future.
“Because age-associated metabolites in saliva are linked to a wide range of metabolic disorders, age-related information gained from salivary metabolites may differ from that collected from blood and urine. The findings of this study may one day be beneficial in determining the degree of metabolic aging in humans or detecting early signs of age-related disorders “Prof. Yanagida stated.
