Red wine and the antioxidant status of saliva

Objectives: The protective effects of grape polyphenols have been reported on oral health, however unreasonable alcohol consumption represents a risk factor for developing oral cancer, especially in association with tobacco smoking. In order to elucidate the role of red wine polyphenols on the oral cavity, we investigated the possible effects of red wine consumption on salivary antiradical capacity. Methods: A Phase I clinical study was conducted on 12 healthy volunteers. Each subject was asked to drink, at different phases of the study, red wine (125 ml), Provinols (a capsule with 300 mg of red wine polyphenol extract) or water (125 ml). Changes of salivary radical-scavenging activity were evaluated at different times (baseline, 30 min and 1, 2, 3, 4 h), using the 2,2¢-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The same time-course of salivary total polyphenol levels, detected by the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method, was also investigated. Results: Both ABTH and DPPH tests demonstrated that a single glass of red wine did not decrease salivary antiradical activity. On the other hand, polyphenol capsule intake caused a marked increase in salivary ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging capacity after 30 min, followed by a plateau up to 4 h. Red wine consumption allowed to detect the highest salivary polyphenol concentration within 30 min, followed by a steady decrease up to 4 h. Conclusion: Our data showed that red wine polyphenol extract improved, to a great extent, the salivary antioxidant status of healthy subjects, whereas red wine drinking did not affect salivary antiradical activity. Relevance: This study would suggest that red wine polyphenols, stimulating the salivary antioxidant system, may enhance oral defences. The intake of a single glass of red wine seems to be not harmful by itself for the oral health, at least in terms of antiradical capacity.