Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing epidemic with the potential to overwhelm global healthcare systems. It is characterized as a set of chronic conditions leading to hyperglycemia and other metabolic abnormalities. Unlike the relatively protected serum, saliva is persistently exposed to a harsh, antagonistic environment where its proteins are modified and reshaped by both host-based and foreign enzymes. This can give rise to the production or reconfiguration of salivary proteins, effectively illustrating the deleterious influence of the diabetic oral environment. In this study, total proteins were selected as they appear to be the salivary constituent most strongly associated with the oral environment in individuals with diabetes.

To quantify and analyze the total protein concentrations present in the saliva samples collected from individuals diagnosed with diabetes.

The study included 40 individuals aged 46 to 65, who were divided into two groups: 20 non-diabetic patients as the control group, and 20 diabetic patients as the study group. The selected participants were then enrolled after their blood glucose levels were measured. Following the acquisition of patient consent, salivary samples were collected for examination. The samples were centrifuged, aliquoted, and stored in a − 80 °C freezer until further analysis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, along with the bicinchoninic acid protein colorimetric test kit from Elabscience, was utilized to assess the total protein levels in the saliva.

Salivary total protein levels were lower in the diabetic group compared to the control group. However, females in the diabetic group exhibited slightly lower salivary total protein levels. The results were statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Salivary total protein levels can be used as an effective diagnostic marker for diabetics as they show visible alterations in the diabetic population when compared to healthy controls.