Accuracy of a questionnaire on xerostomia as a screening tool for hyposalivation.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the accuracy of a questionnaire on xerostomia as a screening tool for hyposalivation. METHODS: A total of 402 adults awaiting dental care at a public healthcare service answered an eight-item questionnaire addressing xerostomia and were submitted to stimulated sialometry, with ≤ 0.7 mL/min considered indicative of hyposalivation. Reproducibility and internal consistency of the questionnaire were evaluated. The correlation between the score and salivary flow was investigated. The total score was also compared between groups with and without hyposalivation and diagnostic precision measures were calculated. RESULTS: Hyposalivation was identified in 162 participants (40.3%) and a total of 229 (57.0%) answered affirmatively to at least one question. The responses to each question revealed variable reproducibility (κ = 0.450-0.785) and satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.70). Individuals with a larger number of positive answers had lower salivary flow (Spearman's ρ = -0.193; P < 0.001). The mean number of positive answers was greater in the group with a clinical diagnosis of hyposalivation compared to those without low salivary flow. The sensitivity of the screening tool was 64.8%, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.60 (95% confidence interval: 0.547-0.645; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The questionnaire proved to be useful for the epidemiological screening of individuals with possible hyposalivation.

Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Potential of Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan.

The aim of the present study was to perform an in vitro analysis of the antimicrobial and antiproliferative potential of an extract from Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (angico) and chemically characterize the crude extract. Antimicrobial action was evaluated based on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration, and the inhibition of formation to oral biofilm. Cell morphology was determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Six strains of tumor cells were used for the determination of antiproliferative potential. The extract demonstrated strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 18804 (MIC = 0.031 mg/mL), with similar activity found regarding the ethyl acetate fraction. The extract and active fraction also demonstrated the capacity to inhibit the formation of Candida albicans to oral biofilm after 48 hours, with median values equal to or greater than the control group, but the difference did not achieve statistical significance (P > 0.05). SEM revealed alterations in the cell morphology of the yeast. Regarding antiproliferative activity, the extract demonstrated cytostatic potential in all strains tested. The present findings suggest strong antifungal potential for Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan as well as a tendency toward diminishing the growth of human tumor cells.