IADR Abstract Archives
Impact of Hydrogel-Encapsulated Sugar on Dental Caries Incidence in Rats
Objectives: Formulations of sports energy gel should not only focus on optimizing carbohydrate oxidation for ergogenic purposes, but also on mitigating the risk of dental caries. To achieve this goal, hydrogel-encapsulated fructose-glucose (FRU-GLU) has been developed. The present study aimed to assess the incidence of dental caries in rats subjected to daily administration of hydrogel-encapsulated FRU-GLU.
Methods: Hydrogel-encapsulated FRU-GLU, a test sugar, was prepared in two forms: spherical-shaped beads (Beads) and gel form (Gel; Gel 100, Maurten, Gothenburg, Sweden). A control sugar (Ctrl) was also prepared by simply blending alginate gel with FRU-GLU to attain a texture similar to that of Gel. All three formulations contained 27% FRU and 33% GLU. The protocol for the animal study was approved by the Institutional Animal Experiment Committee of Tohoku University (approval number: 2018DnA-053). Twenty-four male Wistar rats (3-week-old) were allocated to Beads, Gel, and Ctrl groups (n = 8) on Day 0. Between Day 6 and Day 10, cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) were inoculated into the oral cavity of all animals. Additionally, oral administration of the sugars (approximately 1 g) using a syringe commenced on Day 6 and was repeated daily throughout the 12-week study period. After euthanasia, the maxillary and mandibular molars underwent micro-CT analysis.
Results: Analysis of 288 molars revealed a significantly lower incidence of distinct dental caries in the Beads (17.7%) and Gel (21.9%) groups compared to the Ctrl group (39.6%). When suspected cases of caries were included, the incidence rates were 54.2 % for Beads, 66.7% for Gel, and 76.9% for Ctrl.
Conclusions: Hydrogel-encapsulated sugars (Beads and Gel) exhibited reduced dental caries compared to the control sugar (Ctrl), despite that both types contained identical amount of FRU and GLU. Therefore, utilization of hydrogel-encapsulated FRU-GLU as a sports fuel may alleviate concerns regarding the development of dental caries.
Methods: Hydrogel-encapsulated FRU-GLU, a test sugar, was prepared in two forms: spherical-shaped beads (Beads) and gel form (Gel; Gel 100, Maurten, Gothenburg, Sweden). A control sugar (Ctrl) was also prepared by simply blending alginate gel with FRU-GLU to attain a texture similar to that of Gel. All three formulations contained 27% FRU and 33% GLU. The protocol for the animal study was approved by the Institutional Animal Experiment Committee of Tohoku University (approval number: 2018DnA-053). Twenty-four male Wistar rats (3-week-old) were allocated to Beads, Gel, and Ctrl groups (n = 8) on Day 0. Between Day 6 and Day 10, cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) were inoculated into the oral cavity of all animals. Additionally, oral administration of the sugars (approximately 1 g) using a syringe commenced on Day 6 and was repeated daily throughout the 12-week study period. After euthanasia, the maxillary and mandibular molars underwent micro-CT analysis.
Results: Analysis of 288 molars revealed a significantly lower incidence of distinct dental caries in the Beads (17.7%) and Gel (21.9%) groups compared to the Ctrl group (39.6%). When suspected cases of caries were included, the incidence rates were 54.2 % for Beads, 66.7% for Gel, and 76.9% for Ctrl.
Conclusions: Hydrogel-encapsulated sugars (Beads and Gel) exhibited reduced dental caries compared to the control sugar (Ctrl), despite that both types contained identical amount of FRU and GLU. Therefore, utilization of hydrogel-encapsulated FRU-GLU as a sports fuel may alleviate concerns regarding the development of dental caries.