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Volume 15
Issue 11
10.3390/life15111695
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Low-Cost Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Streptococcus salivarius in Human Saliva

by
Flavia-Cristina Al-Akel
1,2,†,
Lacramioara Eliza Chiperi
3,*,†,
Krisztina Eszter Vas
4,
Edit Szekely
5,6,
Claudia Raluca Mariean
1,2,7,
Corina Eugenia Budin
1,8 and
Anca Bacarea
1,9
1
Physiopathology Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
2
Doctoral School of Medicine and Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
3
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Heart Transplant, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
4
Department of Laboratory Medicine, County Emergency Hospital, 530173 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
5
Microbiology Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540142 Targu Mures, Romania
6
Medical Microbiology Laboratory, Targu Mures County Emergency Hospital, 540042 Targu Mures, Romania
7
Department of Radiology, Targu Mures County Emergency Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
8
Pulmonology Clinic, Mures Clinical County Hospital, 540103 Targu Mures, Romania
9
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Emergency County Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Life 2025, 15(11), 1695; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111695 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 September 2025 / Revised: 21 October 2025 / Accepted: 29 October 2025 / Published: 31 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Microbiology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius) is a prominent oral commensal bacterium with probiotic potential and relevance to both oral and systemic health. Accurate and accessible methods for quantitative measurement of this species are needed to support microbiota studies and clinical interventions. We describe a simple, low-cost, culture-based method for quantifying S. salivarius in human saliva using Mitis-Salivarius Agar. Saliva samples from 18 healthy adult volunteers were analyzed through serial dilutions and selective plating. CFU (colony forming unit)/mL were calculated after 24 and 48 h incubation. The method proved reliable for quantifying S. salivarius in concentrations ranging from 5.8 × 105 to 6.1 × 108 CFU/mL. Although Mitis-Salivarius Agar is a standard medium, we demonstrate its systematic validation and optimization for human saliva in a low-resource clinical setting, where molecular tools are often unavailable.
Keywords: Streptococcus salivarius; saliva; oral microbiota; CFU quantification; low-cost microbiology; selective culture Streptococcus salivarius; saliva; oral microbiota; CFU quantification; low-cost microbiology; selective culture

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MDPI and ACS Style

Al-Akel, F.-C.; Chiperi, L.E.; Vas, K.E.; Szekely, E.; Mariean, C.R.; Budin, C.E.; Bacarea, A. Low-Cost Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Streptococcus salivarius in Human Saliva. Life 2025, 15, 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111695

AMA Style

Al-Akel F-C, Chiperi LE, Vas KE, Szekely E, Mariean CR, Budin CE, Bacarea A. Low-Cost Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Streptococcus salivarius in Human Saliva. Life. 2025; 15(11):1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111695

Chicago/Turabian Style

Al-Akel, Flavia-Cristina, Lacramioara Eliza Chiperi, Krisztina Eszter Vas, Edit Szekely, Claudia Raluca Mariean, Corina Eugenia Budin, and Anca Bacarea. 2025. "Low-Cost Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Streptococcus salivarius in Human Saliva" Life 15, no. 11: 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111695

APA Style

Al-Akel, F.-C., Chiperi, L. E., Vas, K. E., Szekely, E., Mariean, C. R., Budin, C. E., & Bacarea, A. (2025). Low-Cost Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Streptococcus salivarius in Human Saliva. Life, 15(11), 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111695

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