The antibacterial effects of salivary nitrate/nitrite on the growth of three Desulfovibrio species were examined. The bacteria did not grow on plates with ≥0.2 mM nitrate or ≥1.0 mM nitrite. They were also incubated in filter-sterilized saliva. D. desulfuricans was reduced on the order of >102 compared with the control solution (phosphate-buffered saline) in nine out of the 10 participants.
