Cariogenicity of isomaltulose (palatinose), sucrose and mixture of these sugars in rats infected with Streptococcus mutans E-49.

Each of three groups of Wistar rats, 19-20 animals per group, was fed an experimental diet containing either (1) isomaltulose 56%, (2) sucrose 56%, or (3) a mixture of isomaltulose and sucrose (17.5% + 38.5%). The animals were infected with Streptococcus mutans E-49 and one half of the animals was kept on the diet for 8 weeks and the other half for 14 weeks. Only sulcal caries was found in the isomaltulose animals after 8 weeks and 14 weeks. the group fed sucrose had high numbers of carious bucco-lingual, proximal and sulcal surfaces. The group fed the mixture of sucrose and isomaltulose had fewer lesions than the sucrose group on bucco-lingual surfaces after the 8 week experiment (P less than 0.01) and fewer bucco-lingual and proximal surfaces (P less than 0.01) after the 14 week experiment.