SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Taste Perception”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

Identification of ligands for two human bitter T2R receptors.

Earlier, a family of G protein-coupled receptors, termed T2Rs, was identified in the rodent and human genomes through data mining. It was suggested that these receptors mediate bitter taste perception. Analysis of the human genome revealed that the hT2R family is composed of 25 members. However, bitter ligands have been identified for only three human receptors so far. Here we report identification of two novel ligand-receptor pairs. hT2R61 is activated by 6-nitrosaccharin, a bitter derivative of saccharin. hT2R44 is activated by denatonium and 6-nitrosaccharin. Activation profiles for these receptors correlate with psychophysical data determined for the bitter compounds in human studies. Functional analysis of hT2R chimeras allowed us to identify residues in extracellular loops critical for receptor activation by ligands. The discovery of two novel bitter ligand-receptor pairs provides additional support for the hypothesis that hT2Rs mediate a bitter taste response in humans.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

[Impaired sense of taste--diagnosis and treatment].

The sense of taste has great importance in health and disease. Complaints of oral discomfort associated with taste disturbances are increasingly met in the clinical setting. Altered taste perception can result from various underlying local or systemic pathology, as well as serious sensorial syndromes. Although they are not straightforward to diagnose and manage, it is important for the clinician to understand the pathphysiology of this chemosensory system, and to be able to use objective measures in order to quantify and classify the apparent symptoms, thus making the first step to correct diagnosis and treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Naloxone effects on sucrose-motivated behavior.

The opioid system plays an important role in feeding. In general, opioid agonists typically increase feeding and opioid antagonists decrease feeding in non-food restricted animals. In food restricted animals the effects of these drugs are substantially reduced. Opioid antagonists have shown a marked effectiveness at reducing consumption of sweet foods. Explanations for this robust effect have typically focused on drug induced changes in taste, taste perception, or palatability. The current study relates the effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone on motivation to obtain different sucrose concentrations to the drug's effects on unrestricted sucrose solution consumption. Changes in motivation to respond were assessed under a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule (PR) which required increased response cost for each successive unit of sucrose solution. Motivation, as measured by the PR, increased as sucrose concentration increased and naloxone produced a dose-dependent decrease in motivation to respond for a given sucrose concentration. Thus, the effectiveness of naloxone was indirectly related to strength of the sucrose concentration. Under unrestricted access to sucrose solutions, naloxone reduced consumption greatest under the higher concentrations. The data suggest at least part of naloxone's effects on sweet tasting food may be mediated through endogenous opioid reward systems that are reflected in measures of motivation.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Multicenter, double-blind, multiple-dose, parallel-groups efficacy and safety trial of azelastine, chlorpheniramine, and placebo in the treatment of spring allergic rhinitis.

Azelastine, a novel antiallergic medication, was compared with chlorpheniramine maleate and placebo for efficacy and safety in the treatment of spring allergic rhinitis in a multicenter, double-blind, multiple-dose, parallel-groups study. One hundred fifty-five subjects participated. Subjects ranged in age from 18 to 60 years of age and had at least a 2-year history of spring allergic rhinitis, confirmed by positive skin test to spring aeroallergens. Medications were given four times daily; the azelastine groups received 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg in the morning and evening with placebo in the early and late afternoon; the chlorpheniramine group received 4.0 mg four times daily. Daily subject symptom cards were completed during a screening period to assess pretreatment symptoms and during a 4-week treatment period while subjects received study medications. Individual symptoms, total symptoms, and major symptoms were compared to determine efficacy of medication. Elicited, volunteered, and observed adverse experiences were recorded for each subject and compared among groups. Vital signs, body weights, serum chemistry values, complete blood cell counts, urine studies, and electrocardiograms were obtained for each subject and compared among groups. Symptoms relief in the group receiving the highest concentration of azelastine (2.0 mg twice daily) was statistically greater than in the placebo group during all weeks of the study. Lower doses of azelastine were statistically more effective than placebo only during portions of the first 3 weeks of the study. In contrast, although the chlorpheniramine group did have fewer symptoms than the placebo group during the study, the difference never reached statistical significance during any week of the study. There were no serious side effects in any of the treatment groups. Drowsiness and altered taste perception were increased significantly over placebo only in the high-dose azelastine group. Azelastine appears to be a safe, efficacious medication for seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Maternal pregnancy vomiting and offspring salt taste sensitivity and blood pressure.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between salt taste perception and blood pressure (BP) in normotensive adolescents as modified by maternal fluid losses during the first trimester of gestation. Seventy-two healthy adolescents (42 boys) aged between 9.0-21.1 years, recruited from the population-based RICARDIN study, were included. A maternal questionnaire about the duration of pregnancy, birth weight and vomiting or diarrhoea in the first trimester of gestation was collected. The sample was categorized into: "vomiter descendents", those whose mother reported significant vomiting in the first trimester of gestation and "non-vomiter descendents" the remaining. Height, weight, and standardised BP measurement were recorded. Salt gustatory performance was assessed using a behavioral sensitivity test to determine the lower NaCl gustatory threshold, and a behavioral discrimination test, measuring the ability to distinguish among different saline solutions. Salt taste sensitivity showed a significant correlation with systolic BP (SBP) in "vomiter descendents" ( r = -0.66; P =0.003), but not in "non-vomiter descendents". Adjusted by gender, and actual height and weight, salt sensitivity performance remained significantly related to SBP. An association between descendents' SBP and maternal vomiting during gestation exists, adding a new element of evidence to the "Barker hypothesis".

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Taste and smell sensations enhance the satiating effect of both a high-carbohydrate and a high-fat meal in humans.

The effects of meal sensory properties (tasty vs. bland) and nutrient composition [high-CHO (carbohydrate) vs. high-FAT] on hunger ratings, blood glucose and free fatty acids (FFA), taste perception, and subsequent food intake, were studied in human subjects. Aspartame and vanilla were used to augment meal palatability, yielding four isocaloric liquid meals: bland-FAT, tasty-FAT, bland-CHO, tasty-CHO. Normal-weight, nondieting young adults consumed each of the meals for breakfast on separate days. The main finding was that tasty versions of high-FAT and high-CHO meals were more satiating than nutritionally identical bland meals, as indicated by a greater decrease in hunger ratings following the tasty meals. Changes in blood glucose and FFA were related to meal nutrient composition, but not to meal sensory properties. High-CHO meals tended to be more satiating than high-FAT meals. Consumption of each of the meals produced a similar decrease in pleasantness ratings of food-related tastes. Intake of carbohydrates was significantly higher at a self-selected lunch 5.25 h following a tasty breakfast. These findings indicate that hunger is decreased to a greater extent by meals flavored with aspartame and vanilla relative to nutritionally identical, unflavored meals. The satiety-enhancing effect of oral stimulation was found for both high-FAT and high-CHO meals.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Perceptual integration of tertiary taste mixtures.

Integration psychophysics was used to explore the taste perception of mixtures of sucrose, fructose, and citric acid. Three levels of each stimulus were varied in a 3 x 3 x 3 factorial design. Subjects rated total intensity, sweetness, and acidity of the 27 mixtures on graphic rating scales. Consistent with earlier work, the perceived total intensity of the tertiary mixtures was found to be dictated by the intensity of the (subjectively) stronger component alone (i.e., either the integrated sweetness or the acidity, whichever was the more intense). In contrast, the sweetness and acidity of the mixture were susceptible to mutual suppression: Sweetness suppressed acidity, acidity suppressed sweetness. There was, however, a difference between sucrose and fructose in their interactions with citric acid, fructose being the more susceptible to suppression. This selectivity of suppression indicates that the two sweetnesses could not have been inextricably integrated. Implications for taste coding are discussed, and the findings are reconciled in terms of two separate coding mechanisms: one for taste intensity, another for taste quality.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Calcium: taste, intake, and appetite.

This review summarizes research on sensory and behavioral aspects of calcium homeostasis. These are fragmented fields, with essentially independent lines of research involving gustatory electrophysiology in amphibians, ethological studies in wild birds, nutritional studies in poultry, and experimental behavioral studies focused primarily on characterizing the specificity of the appetite in rats. Recently, investigators have begun to examine potential physiological mechanisms underlying calcium intake and appetite. These include changes in the taste perception of calcium, signals related to blood calcium concentrations, and actions of the primary hormones of calcium homeostasis: parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Other influences on calcium intake include reproductive and adrenal hormones and learning. The possibility that a calcium appetite exists in humans is discussed. The broad range of observations documenting the existence of a behavioral limb of calcium homeostasis provides a strong foundation for future genetic and physiological analyses of this behavior.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

[Taste sensitivity in homeotic mutants of the drosophila leg-arista-wing complex].

It is well established that taste chemoreceptors in Drosophila are located on the tarsi of the first leg pair. In order to investigate the influence of the novel homeotic arista-tarsus transformation on behavior, an analysis of taste perception in the lawc-mutants, characterized by the transformation of the arista into tarsus elements, was carried out. The data were subjected to thorough statistical treatment. It was shown that elements of an additional leg that appeared as a result of homeotic transformation of the arista were sensitive to gustatory stimuli. Analysis of the innervation of the homeotic organs by means of cobalt staining of afferent projections showed that the afferents starting from the homeotic leg reached the thoracic ganglion.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Morphological features of the minor salivary glands.

The minor salivary glands are important components of the oral cavity, present in most parts of the mouth, and their secretions directly bathe the tissues. Individual glands are usually in the submucosa between muscle fibres, and consist of groups of secretory endpieces made up of mucous acinar cells and serous or seromucous demilune cells. The ductal systems comprise intercalated ducts, intralobular ducts usually lacking basal striations, and excretory ducts opening directly through the mucosa Minor glands secrete highly glycosylated mucins, containing blood group determinants, and probably active in tissue lubrication and bacterial aggregation. They also secrete several antimicrobial proteins and immunoglobulins, and the lingual serous (von Ebner's) glands secrete digestive enzymes and proteins with possible taste perception functions. Minor gland morphology and function can conveniently be studied in the rat. There are substantial differences between major and minor salivary glands, as well as among the minor glands, in the nature and composition of their mucous and serous secretory products. The role of minor salivary glands in the function and defence of the oral cavity may be better understood as a result of new physiological and molecular methods applicable to samples of limited size and availability.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Taste and food preference changes across the course of pregnancy.

The present study investigates taste and specific food consumption changes across the course of pregnancy. These variables could potentially play a role in excess pregnancy-associated weight gains. Pregnant and postpartum women were asked to consume a series of everyday foods in the laboratory. Consumption and taste perception of each food were measured. In contrast to the self-report literature on cravings and aversions during pregnancy, which emphasizes changes in the first trimester, this study found that women in the second trimester consumed significantly more sweet food, but not salty or non-sweet/non-salty food, as compared with women at any other point in pregnancy. Subjects were restrained eaters, and so possibly refrained from daily consumption of excess sweet foods. This study suggests that psychological variables may interact with behavioral and physiological variables to control food preferences and eating in pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Is taste related to anorexia in cancer patients?

Intensity and pleasantness of five suprathreshold concentrations each of citric acid, NaCl, urea, and sucrose in beverages were scaled by 62 patients with primary tumors in upper gastrointestinal or thoracic areas, 22 of whom had chemotherapy within the month before testing. Mean intensity scores directly correlated with concentration of sour, salty, bitter, and sweet stimuli and indicated no abnormalities of taste perception among patients grouped by tumor site, therapy, or appetite. In contrast, mean hedonic functions differed among individuals and groups. Patients on chemotherapy were less likely to display a distinct preference for any of the five concentrations of sucrose, particularly high levels, than those not on chemotherapy. Anorectics were more likely to prefer lower sweetness levels than nonanorectics, but sweet foods constituted a greater percentage of their daily caloric intake. Current theories for regulation of hunger and satiety were examined to elucidate the pathogenesis of anorexia in cancer patients.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of the nucleoside analogs zidovudine, didanosine, stavudine, and lamivudine on the sense of taste.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the taste properties of nucleoside analogs, which are among the current medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Eighteen unmedicated HIV-positive subjects and 41 healthy control subjects participated in threshold and suprathreshold experiments. All of the nucleoside medications tested were perceived as predominantly bitter (along with other qualities such as metallic, medicinal, sour, astringent, and cooling). The nucleoside analog with the lowest detection thresholds was zidovudine; the detection threshold was 1.47 mM for HIV-infected patients and 2.15 mM for control subjects. Detection thresholds for lamivudine were 4.41 mM for HIV-infected patients and 4.36 mM for control subjects. Detection thresholds for stavudine were 6.39 mM for HIV-infected patients and 5.99 mM for control subjects. Detection thresholds for didanosine were 14.29 mM for HIV-infected patients and 24.0 mM for control subjects. The nucleoside analogs also modified the taste perception of KCl and CaCl2. There were no significant differences between HIV-infected subjects and control subjects for detection threshold values for any of the drugs. However, HIV-infected subjects rated lamivudine, zidovudine, and stavudine as significantly more bitter than did the control subjects at concentrations four times higher than their detection thresholds. This result was not due to use of medications by HIV-infected subjects because none of the subjects (neither HIV-infected nor control) were taking medications.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Aging and eating in the rural, southern United States: beliefs about salt and its effect on health.

This paper draws upon qualitative research conducted among older adults in the rural, southern United States in which they articulated their beliefs and experiences with nutrition and foods, and lay models of the connection of diet with chronic disease. Salt emerged as a focus of contention. The goals of the paper are to (1) present the culturally constructed meaning of salt, (2) contrast the cultural meaning with biomedical views, and (3) discuss how these findings can be applied to health education and better doctor-patient communication. Data were collected in two rural communities characterized by high rates of poverty and a high proportion of minority residents. A total of 116 African American, Native American and white adults aged 60 years and older participated in 55 in-depth interviews or seven focus groups. A systematic analysis of text showed that salt was a highly contested component of food. While valued for its role in traditional foods and cuisine, it also held negative connotations because of biomedical links to chronic diseases prevalent in the population. We suggest that attempts to control salt intake are made difficult by the changes in taste perceptions that accompany aging. Respondents' articulation of salt's role in health and disease shows cross-over among different chronic diseases and a lay interpretation of blood as the medium through which salt affects disease. These older adults' narratives demonstrate their attempts to reconcile the important role of traditional foods in their identity as Southerners with their attempts to meet medical recommendations for healthy eating.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1991

Taste of glutamate salts in young and elderly subjects: role of inosine 5'-monophosphate and ions.

Taste sensitivity to five glutamate salts (sodium glutamate, potassium glutamate, ammonium glutamate, calcium diglutamate, and magnesium diglutamate) were determined in sixteen young (mean age 25.58 years) and eighteen elderly (mean age 86.89 years) subjects. The effect of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and ions on taste perception of glutamate compounds was also investigated. The detection thresholds for glutamate salts were 5.04 times higher in elderly subjects than in young subjects; the recognition thresholds were 3.84 times higher. For young subjects, 0.1 mM IMP lowered detection and recognition thresholds for all 5 salts. A stronger concentration of IMP (1 mM) had this effect in both young and elderly groups. Elderly subjects perceived suprathreshold concentrations as less intense than young subjects. Chloride and acetate salts of sodium, potassium, and calcium reduced the detection and recognition thresholds of L-glutamic acid but had no effect sodium glutamate thresholds.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fluid replacement preferences in heat-exposed workers.

This study examined fluid intake, weight changes, and palatability of water and a carbohydrate-electrolyte (ECHO) beverage in two groups of eight subjects performing 4 hours of simulated industrial work while wearing impermeable protective clothing. Subjects also rated the palatability of a flavorless orange-colored water and four commercially available orange-flavored fluid-replacement drinks. Subjects worked 30 min at 300 Kcal/hour (moderate work rate), followed by 30 min of rest for a total of 4 hours in each of three environments: 18, 23, 27 degrees C wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). Eight subjects drank water and eight drank an ECHO beverage (Drink 1). Mean sweat production was similar between groups at each WBGT, (p > 0.05). Mean weight changes expressed as percentage of total body weight for the water-drinking group were -0.25 (+/- 0.16) kg in 18 degrees C, -0.55 (+/- 0.09) kg in 23 degrees C, and -0.93 (+/- 0.13) kg in 27 degrees C. Mean weight changes for the ECHO-drinking group were 0.49 (+/- 0.12) kg in 18 degrees C, 0.13 (+/- 0.12) kg in 23 degrees C, and -0.02 (+/- 0.14) kg in 27 degrees C. Each change was significantly different from that of the water-drinking group at the same temperatures (p < 0.05). Mean pre- to post-trial palatability rating results for all temperatures revealed differences in taste perception with strong preferences for Drinks 1 and 2 (pre to post): Drink 1, 3.8 to 3.6; Drink 2, 3.8 to 3.7; Drink 3, 3.0 to 2.7, Drink 4 (water), 3.2 to 3.0, and Drink 5, 2.1 to 1.6. Drinks 1 and 2 were rated significantly more palatable (p < 0.05) than Drink 3. All drinks had a reduced flavor appeal from 3.18 (+0.96) preratings to 2.92 (+1.01) postratings (p < 0.05). Mean voluntary consumption during work across the three temperatures was 1561.5 mL (+/- 720.1) for ECHO versus 1062.7 mL (+/- 666.4) for water (p = 0.054). The water group experienced greater weight loss than the ECHO group, suggesting a greater rate of dehydration when water was used for fluid replacement.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The role of taste in food selection by African apes: implications for niche separation and overlap in tropical forests.

Ripe fruit eating shapes the behavior of most of the apes. Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are very different sizes and, consequently, have been traditionally viewed as ecologically distinct, but few studies have explored the behavioral and physiological foundations of their diets. Debate continues on the extent that large-bodied gorillas may be less selective and more opportunistic fruit eaters than chimpanzees. Taste responses have been predicted to relate to body size and digestive strategies. This study employs laboratory research on taste perception and discrimination among captive zoo-housed chimpanzees and relates it to previous work on gorillas to better characterize diets and niche separation among these apes. During the captive trials, differences were recorded in consumption patterns of water and varying concentrations of dilute aqueous fructose (sweet) and tannic acid solutions (astringent), compounds commonly found in wild foods. The chimpanzees exhibited similar preference thresholds for fructose (50 mM) to other primates studied. They exhibited slightly lower inhibition thresholds for tannic acid solutions than gorillas, but higher than smaller primates studied to date. These preliminary findings suggest that tannin tolerance may well be mediated by body size, though possible species differences in salivary proteins or other sensory differences remain to be explored. This research furthers our efforts to understand the roles of body size and physiological adaptations in shaping diet and niche separation of chimpanzees and gorillas.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Water and electrolyte replenishment in the exercising child.

This article reviews studies, mostly from the authors' laboratory, on children's sweating rates and composition, voluntary drinking patterns during prolonged exercise in the heat, taste perception of beverages, and the importance of fluid flavor and composition in preventing voluntary dehydration. Subjects were children, exposed for 90 to 180 min to intermittent bouts of cycling (45-50% maximal O2 uptake) in a climatic chamber (mostly at 35 degrees C, 40-50% relative humidity). There were five main findings: When given unflavored water ad libitum, children dehydrated progressively and their core temperature increased faster than in adults. When offered drinks with various flavors, children preferred grape to other flavors. When given grape-flavored water during intermittent exercise in the heat, children voluntarily drank 44.5% more than with unflavored water. When given grape-flavored carbohydrate-electrolyte solution, they voluntarily drank 91% more than with unflavored water. Finally, such consumption of carbohydrate-electrolyte solution was sufficient to prevent voluntary dehydration during 180-min intermittent exercise in the heat.

Adolescent↗