Biochemical Analysis of Human Salivary Mucin. I. The Possibility of Cholesterol in

WlORK in this laboratory is at present concerned with biochemical analysis N of human salivary mucin. This paper is introductory, in that the methods of obtaining mucin are critically discussed, but includes an investigation of the possibility of lipid materials being an integral part of the mucin complex, as reported by Kazakova.1 THE PREPARATION OF HUMAN SALIVARY MUCIN The collection and pooling of overnight samples of saliva was highly unsatisfactory. Such saliva contained large masses of bacteria and debris and was usually a watery secretion of low mucin content. The ideal method is for one subject to spit directly into the appropriate precipitating solution over a long period of time. In this way the possibility of enzymic depolymerization taking place, as described by Knox and Still,2-4 is avoided. In view of the large volume of saliva required, this method was considered impracticable. It was finally decided to fit traps into the circuits of the saliva ejectors in one of the clinics of the Dental Hospital. Twenty bottles, of about 250 ml