Short-Term Oral Microbiota And Metabolome Alterations After Areca Chewing

The oral microbiota is crucial for oral health through metabolic interactions, yet areca nut chewing may disrupt this homeostasis and trigger disease. This study investigates the short-term impacts of areca nut chewing on oral microecology to fill the gap in clinical evidence. An Ethics Committee-approved clinical trial recruited 30 healthy males (aged 18-30) who chewed half an areca nut(3.0∼5.5g)at hourly intervals for a total of three times. Oral swabs and saliva were collected at five timepoints within 24 hours. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were performed to analyze microbial composition and metabolic profile changes. The results revealed significant short-term microbial shifts post-consumption, marked by reduced diversity that partially recovered over time, with Streptococcus spp. showing the most pronounced fluctuations in abundance. Most species initially decreased in relative abundance before rebounding, while Propionicimonas increased first and then decreased. Over 230 metabolites showed elevated levels, predominantly bioactive components and additives of commercial areca nut, including guvacoline (6.8-fold increase), arecoline (6.4-fold), cyclamic acid (8.7-fold), and D-(-)-quinic acid (7.0-fold), with metabolic pathway analysis indicating upregulated amino acid metabolism. This study demonstrated transient ecological disruption in the oral cavity after areca nut chewing, and the persistence of stimulation may create microenvironments conducive to oral pathologies. These findings advance understanding of areca nut’s pathogenic mechanisms, providing critical data for preventive strategies and regulatory interventions.