A pilot Study of Salivary Microbiome in Algerian Obese Adult Females: Insight into Obesity and Oral Health Relationship

Background: Obesity has become a significant global health care problem. Several studies have reported the important role of microbiome in the development of obesity. Nevertheless, the composition of salivary microbiome (SM) of obese people is still inconclusive. Objectives: this pilot study endeavored to profile the salivary microbiome of Algerian obese adult females and to investigate the relationship between obesity and oral health status. Methodology: Sixty adult females from two cities in Algeria (Tlemcen and Jijel) were included (obese N= 30, and normal weight N= 30). Unstimulated saliva was gathered for high-throughput sequencing of V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Statistical analyses (Student’s T-test and Chi-square test) were implemented in order to analyze the connection between obesity and oral health status, socio-economic status and lifestyle. Results: Overall, 15 phyla, 21 classes, 39 orders, 65 families and 147 genera were characterized in the saliva samples. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria were the common phyla in the Algerian female population. Alpha diversity indices suggested increased species richness and decreased diversity among the obese group. Over-abundance of Pseudomonas has been reported in the obese group from Jijel City. The obese individuals revealed significantly lower physical activity, lower socioeconomic status and higher values of oral indices. Conclusion: This is the first investigation reporting the diversity of the salivary microbiome in obese and normal weight Algerian adult females and suggesting the direct association of socioeconomic status and oral health with obesity.