Open AccessQuantitative analysis of the effect of xylitol on pneumococcal nasal colonisation in rats
Author(s) -
Kontiokari Tero,
Svanberg Martti,
Mattila Pauli,
Lein Maija,
Uhari Matti
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb08693.x
Subject(s) - colonisation , xylitol , microbiology and biotechnology , streptococcus pneumoniae , medicine , biology , food science , antibiotics , colonization , fermentation
Abstract Xylitol possesses anti‐bacterial effects on pneumococci in vitro. To study the effect in vivo, the nostrils of 80 rats were inoculated with pneumococci. Intervention groups ( n =20 ) received either a xylitol diet or xylitol nasal sprays. The control groups were on a normal diet or had saline sprays. After 3 days, a quantitative bacterial culture and a PCR were done from the mucosal suspension. Neither the mean colony‐forming unit counts nor the PCR counts differed statistically significant between the xylitol and control groups. Thus, we found that xylitol had no significant effect on pneumococcal mucosal colonisation.