The influence of saliva on the hydrophobic surface properties of bacteria isolated from oral sites of macaque monkeys

The surface hydrophobicity of 64 bacterial strains isolated from discrete, intra-oral sites of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) was determined by measuring their affinity for hexadecane. Bacteria were also exposed to monkey saliva which either increased or reduced the surface hydrophobicity of the cells. After exposure to saliva those bacteria isolated solely from the mucosal surfaces were significantly more hydrophobic than bacteria (Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces spp.) whose major habitat was the dentition. Streptococcus sanguis strains isolated from all intra-oral sites and among the early plaque formers were as hydrophobic as the organisms isolated only from the mucosal surfaces.