Difference in Amounts between Titratable Acid and Total Carboxylic Acids Produced by Oral Streptococci during Sugar Metabolism

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Abstract
The acid produced by the resting cells of Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449 and HS 6 and S. sanguis ATCC 10556 during sugar metabolism was estimated with a pH-stat and a carboxylic acid analyzer. Lactic, formic, acetic, pyruvic, and carbonic acids were detected in the reaction mixtures, but propionic, citric, succinic, iso-butyric, butyric, iso-valeric, and valeric acids were not detected. The amount of titratable acid estimated by alkaline titration with the pH-stat was larger than the amount of total carboxylic acids estimated with the carboxylic acid analyzer. The difference in quantity between the titratable and the total carboxylic acids increased significantly with an increase in the period of incubation with sugar. Moreover, the value of the alkaline titration of standard lactic, formic, acetic, and pyruvic acids was equal to the amount analyzed with the carboxylic acid analyzer. The results indicated that these two streptococci produced not only these carboxylic acids but also other acid(s), possibly non-carboxylic acid(s), during their sugar metabolism.