[The cariogenicity of xylitol in the animal experiment].

After programmed feeding of rats in a six and eight-week long conventional experiment with increasing concentrations of xylitol, compared to sorbitol, fructose and saccharose, the non-cariogenic nature of xylitol was confirmed. The increasing amounts of xylitol after sorbitol in chocolate diets (up to 30 g/day/rat) led to serious dilatation of the cecum and to changes in the mucosa of cecum and colon when sorbitol was given. Examination of plaques of the germ-free rats monoassociated with S. mutans showed that xylitol had no bacteriostatic effect on this type of germ. Since xylitol is not broken down by these germs with acid being formed, careis did not continue to extend.