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Cited by 194Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchDental Health and Care UtilizationGut microbiota and health

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Nitrate as a potential prebiotic for the oral microbiome

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Rosier, B. T., Buetas, E., Moya-Gonzalvez, E. M., Artacho, A., Mira, Alex·2020·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-020-69931-xPMC PMC7393384
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Abstract

The salivary glands actively concentrate plasma nitrate, leading to high salivary nitrate concentrations (5–8 mM) after a nitrate-rich vegetable meal. Nitrate is an ecological factor that can induce rapid changes in structure and function of polymicrobial communities, but the effects on the oral microbiota have not been clarified. To test this, saliva of 12 healthy donors was collected to grow in vitro biofilms with and without 6.5 mM nitrate. Samples were taken at 5 h (most nitrate reduced) and 9 h (all nitrate reduced) of biofilm formation for ammonium, lactate and pH measurements, as well as 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing. Nitrate did not affect biofilm growth significantly, but reduced lactate production, while increasing the observed ammonium production and pH (all p < 0.01). Significantly higher levels of the oral health-associated nitrate-reducing genera Neisseria (3.1 ×) and Rothia (2.9 ×) were detected in the nitrate condition already after 5 h (both p < 0.01), while several caries-associated genera (Streptococcus, Veillonella and Oribacterium) and halitosis- and periodontitis-associated genera (Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, Leptotrichia, Prevotella, and Alloprevotella) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05 at 5 h and/or 9 h). In conclusion, the addition of nitrate to oral communities led to rapid modulation of microbiome composition and activity that could be beneficial for the host (i.e., increasing eubiosis or decreasing dysbiosis). Nitrate should thus be investigated as a potential prebiotic for oral health.

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  • Periodontal disease, denture use and antiseptic mouthwashes can disrupt the balance of microbes and reduce nitrite formation, thereby reducing the cardiovascular benefits of dietary nitrate.

    “periodontal disease, denture use and antiseptic mouthwashes can disrupt the balance of microbes and reduce nitrite formation, thereby reducing the cardiovascular benefits of dietary nitrate [249,250,251,252].”

    From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [252]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says chlorhexidine mouthwash causes loss of oral nitrate reduction and reports an associated acute rise in blood pressure. It also explains how oral nitrite contributes to nitric oxide and cardiovascular regulation. The paper discusses periodontitis-associated microbes, but does not establish that periodontal disease or denture use reduces nitrite formation or the cardiovascular benefits of dietary nitrate. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Antibiotics can disrupt the oral and gut microbiota responsible for reducing nitrate to nitrite, thereby impairing endogenous NO generation.

    “antibiotics can disrupt the oral and gut microbiota responsible for reducing nitrate to nitrite, thereby impairing endogenous NO generation [106,252,271].”

    From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [252]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) describes oral bacteria reducing nitrate to nitrite, which is then converted to nitric oxide, and reports that chlorhexidine mouthwash causes a loss of oral nitrate reduction. It does not establish that antibiotics disrupt nitrate-reducing oral and gut microbiota or impair nitric oxide generation; the gut microbiota are not addressed in the cited passages. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Antimicrobial exposure may impair nitrate-reducing microbiota.

    “whereas antimicrobial exposure may impair them.”

    From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [252]

  • This suggests potential for microbiome-targeted interventions.

    “This suggests the potential for microbiome-targeted interventions [249,252].”

    From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [252]

  • Dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods may support nitrate-reducing microbiota.

    “Dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods may support nitrate-reducing microbiota”

    From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [252]

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Metadata

Authors
Rosier, B. T., Buetas, E., Moya-Gonzalvez, E. M., Artacho, A., & Mira, A.
Affiliations
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (ES)
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2020-07-30
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
12895-12895
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-020-69931-x
PMC
PMC7393384
OpenAlex
W3046153752
Cited by
194
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 8
FWCI
19.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Bio2015-68711-R, RTI2018-102032-B-I00)
  • European Regional Development Fund (RTI2018-102032-B-I00)
  • Instituto de Salud Carlos III (DTS16/00230)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Health and Care Utilization
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
nitrate, prebiotics, oral microbiota, salivary nitrate, nitrate-reducing bacteria, Neisseria, Rothia, dental plaque, lactic acid production, ammonium production, caries-associated bacteria, periodontitis-associated bacteria, halitosis, dysbiosis, eubiosis, oral health
MeSH terms
Bacteria, Female, Humans, Male, Mouth, Nitrates, RNA, Bacterial, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, Prebiotics, Microbiota

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