Abstract
The quantification of hormones, proteins and other biomarkers in saliva has been a very effective method for the evaluation of health and disease processes, since saliva is easily collected, it constitutes a noninvasive method and can be used on a large scale in a non- outpatient setting. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the salivary characteristics and taste of 60 university students, 30 males and 30 females, aged 18 to 22 years, regular caffeine consumers. Caffeine consumption will be assessed by recall 24 hours on two separate days with an interval of one week: the day prior to collection (wake up to the time they went to sleep) and the consumption on the day of saliva collection, in the morning, since the collection will be performed in the afternoon; and an additional day in the week following (weekdays). Saliva flow, pH and buffering capacity will be determined by collecting saliva with mechanical stimulation (chewing Parafilm®) and without stimulation. Biochemical analysis of unstimulated and stimulated saliva will be performed using automated technique for the determination of amylase and total protein. Also, the detection thresholds of the four primary tastes (sweet, salty, sour and bitter) will be assessed in three different concentrations. The questions specifically related to the consumption of foods and beverages with caffeine and the amount of them will be carried out using pictures that will be shown to the volunteer as a way to facilitate and standardize data collection. The description and the correlation between the variables studied will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, normality and correlation tests (Pearson / Spearman). Multiple linear regression models will verify the relationship between caffeine consumption estimated in milligrams (as the dependent variable) and the independent variables under study: taste, saliva flow, pH, buffer capacity, and concentrations of salivary amylase and total protein, controlling for confounding variables such as age, gender and body mass index. This analysis will be performed for both consumption in 24 hours and prior to collection (morning) (alpha = .05).
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