Cadaverine as a Putative Component of Oral Malodor

Whereas previous studies have shown correlations between volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) and bad breath levels, it is probable that other compounds found in the oral cavity may contribute to oral malodor. In the present investigation, the possibility that diamines (cadaverine and putrescine) are associated with oral malodor parameters was assessed. Saliva samples from 52 subjects were analyzed for cadaverine and putrescine by HPLC. Oral malodor of whole mouth, tongue, and saliva of the subjects was recorded by an experienced judge on a continuous 10-cm scale; peak and steady-state VSC intraoral levels were measured by the Interscan 1170 sulphide monitor. Log-transformed VSC and diamine levels were compared with odor judge measurements by Pearson analysis and stepwise forward multiple regression. Putrescine scores were not significantly associated with odor judge parameters or with VSC levels (p > 0.1). However, highly significant correlations (p ≤ 0.003) were found between cadaverine levels and all three odor judge assessments. In contrast, associations between cadaverine and VSC measurements were non-significant. In an attempt to correlate odor judge results in terms of both VSC and diamines, we carried out stepwise forward multiple regression. Results showed that VSC and cadaverine both factor significantly in explaining each of the odor judge measurements, with multiple r values ranging from 0.545 (p = 0.0002) to 0.604 (p < 0.0001). The results suggest that cadaverine levels are associated with oral malodor, and that this association may be independent of VSC.