Diurnal pattern of salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol under citric acid stimulation in young adults

Abstract

Our data suggest that sAA and cortisol showed diurnal fluctuation, and the variation characteristics of male and female under resting state and acid stimulation were basically the same. The variation trend of salivary alpha-amylase activity was opposite to that of cortisol, with significant negative correlation. Our findings may enable the selection of the correct sampling time for research and the selection of appropriate sampling strategies in studies investigating chronic psychosocial conditions.