DNA methylation-based age prediction from saliva: High age predictability by combination of 7 CpG markers

•We generated epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiles of 54 saliva samples using Illumina’s HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array.•DNA methylation at the SST, CNGA3, KLF14, TSSK6, TBR1, and SLC12A5 genes showed a high association with age.•DNA methylation at 6 age-associated CpGs and a cell type-specific CpG were investigated in 226 saliva samples using methylation SNaPshot.•A model composed of 7 CpGs exhibited a high correlation between predicted and chronological age with a MAD from chronological age of 3.1 years.•The developed multiplex methylation SNaPshot assay produced reproducible results with a small amount of DNA (4 ng of bisulfite-converted DNA).