Effects of Daily Alcohol Intake on Serum and Salivary Alpha-Amylase Activity Associated With Two Local Alcoholic Drinks of Benin

Abstract

This study was initiated to assess the effect of daily amount of alcohol intake on serum and salivary alpha-amylase activity of regular adult consumers of tchoukoutou and sodabi, two local alcoholic drinks made in Benin. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study carried out from 1^st of April to 31^st of August, 2012. The study population consisted of 50 subjects as regular consumers of tchoukoutou (titrated with 3% of alcohol), 50 regular consumers of sodabi (titrated with 40% of alcohol) and 50 non-consumers of alcohol. Alpha-amylase activity in saliva and serum were measured in each subject. There was no significant difference in the activity of serum and salivary alpha-amylase between consumers of low quantity of tchoukoutou and sodabi (˂ 30 g/ day) on one hand (P = 0.24 and 0.99 respectively), and between moderate consumers (30-79 g/ day) on the other (P = 0.31 and 0.48 respectively). Daily amount of alcohol intake had a positive effect on the serum alpha-amylase activity when taking into consideration the entire group at the threshold of 1%, in tchoukoutou consumers (r = +0.887), and in women sodabi consumers at the threshold of 5% (r = +0.928). Therefore, serum alpha-amylase activity is positively associated with the consumption of these two local alcoholic drinks made in Benin.