Ignacio Roa & Mariano del Sol

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer widely used in the food industry. It has been associated with obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, as well as alterations in multiple organs, such as testicles, kidney, liver, among others. While its effect on oral structures such as the salivary glands has been reported, the impact on dental tissues has not been described. Since this information is also relevant in fields such as forensic identification, palaeoecology and dentistry, the objective of the study was to observe alterations on the tooth surface in a model of obesity in rats inducedbyMSG. TwelveneonatemaleSpragueDawleyrats were used, divided into two groups according to MSG exposure (Control Group and MSG1 Group: 4 mg / g weight of MSG, 5 doses were maintained for 16 weeks. Body mass index (BMI) and Lee's index as well as mass percentage of elements C, O, Na, P, Ca, Fe and K on the tooth surface were evaluated by semi-quantitative analysis. In addition to increases in C and Fe, results indicate that MSG induced obesityand alterationsinthepercentagesofmassonthetooth surface in rats, showing a decrease in Ca, P and O, According to previous reports, MSG induced obesity causes alterations in secretion and salivary composition, an aspect closely related toenamelcomposition,thusexplainingourresults. Enhanced knowledge of enamel surface composition may help improve our understanding of the relationship between dental caries and obesity.

KEY WORDS: Enamel; Elements; Obesity; Monosodium Glutamate; Caries.

ROA, I. & DEL SOL, M. Semi-quantitative evaluation of enamel microelements in an obesity model induced by monosodium glutamate in rats. Int. J. Morphol., 39(4):984- 988, 2021.