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Open Access
CC BY 4.0 · Eur J Dent
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1814094
Original Article

Salivary Microbiome Differences in Stunted and Healthy Children: A Metagenomic Analysis

Autor*innen

  • Nila Kasuma

    1   Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Haria Fitri

    1   Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Reno Wiska Wulandari

    1   Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Gian Ernesto

    2   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Dinda Ratna Juwita

    3   Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Muhammad Dzaky Sayyid Effendi

    3   Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

  • Thifla Rafifa Wirza

    3   Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Funding Universitas Andalas funded this research under grant number 041/SPK/PN-UNAND/FKG/2023.
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Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to compare the composition and diversity of the salivary microbiome in stunted and nonstunted children using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to explore the relationship between nutritional status and oral microbiota.

Materials and Methods

A total of 20 saliva samples were collected from children aged 6 to 10 years, comprising two groups: stunted (n = 10) and healthy controls (n = 10). Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted, and the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced. Bioinformatics analysis included taxonomic assignment, calculation of relative abundance, α diversity (using Shannon and Simpson indices), β diversity (UniFrac-based principal coordinate analysis and permutational multivariate analysis of variance [PERMANOVA]), and differential abundance testing using the Mann–Whitney U test.

Results

The dominant phyla in both groups were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, with Proteobacteria being more prevalent in the stunted group. At the genus level, Neisseria and Veillonella were more abundant in stunted children. Notably, Veillonella was significantly elevated in the stunted group (28.6%) compared with controls (14.9%, p = 0.0376). Alpha diversity indices revealed a higher diversity trend in the stunted group, although this difference was not statistically significant (Shannon, p = 0.130; Simpson, p = 0.762). Beta diversity analysis revealed no considerable clustering between groups (PERMANOVA p > 0.05), indicating moderate interindividual variability but no clear group separation.

Conclusion

Children with stunted growth demonstrated distinct microbial signatures in their salivary microbiota, particularly in the increased abundance of Proteobacteria and Veillonella, suggesting a potential link between chronic undernutrition and oral microbial dysbiosis. These findings underscore the need for additional studies to investigate the impact of nutritional status on oral and systemic health through the microbiome axis.

Keywords

stunting - salivary microbiome - 16S rRNA - nutritional status - oral dysbiosis - pediatric microbiota


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
20. Januar 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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