Abstract
Reduced taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a genetic trait regarded as a general index for oral chemosensory perception, has been associated with a calorie-rich food preference and lower circulating endocannabinoid levels in participants with normal weight (NW), which suggests an adaptive mechanism to maintain a lean phenotype. In this study, we assessed whether participants with obesity (OB) show different patterns of plasma endocannabinoids and lipid metabolism biomarkers from those of NW, with further categorization based on their PROP sensitivity. NW and OB were classified by their PROP taster status as non-tasters (NT), medium-tasters (MT) and supertasters (ST). The blood samples were analysed for plasma endocannabinoids, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and retinol, which have been associated to metabolic syndrome. In OB, we found a higher BMI and lower circulating endocannabinoids in ST vs. OB NT. However, OB ST showed lower circulating NEFA and retinol levels, which suggested a more favourable lipid metabolism and body fat distribution than those of OB NT. We confirmed lower plasma endocannabinoid levels in NW NT than in NW ST. These data suggest that PROP taste sensitivity determines metabolic changes and ultimately body mass composition differently in OB and NW.
Highlights
Reduced taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a genetic trait regarded as a general index for oral chemosensory perception, has been associated with a calorie-rich food preference and lower circulating endocannabinoid levels in participants with normal weight (NW), which suggests an adaptive mechanism to maintain a lean phenotype
We assessed whether participants with obesity (OB) show different patterns of plasma endocannabinoids and lipid metabolism biomarkers from those of NW, with further categorization based on their PROP sensitivity
We proposed that the lower endocannabinoid levels observed in normal weight (NW) NT than in ST represent an adaptive mechanism that is an attempt to normalize various feeding behaviours in these participants, such as the increased disinhibition typical of NT, and explains, in part, why they still exhibit a lean phenotype despite their putative preference for calorie-dense foods[21]
Summary
Reduced taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a genetic trait regarded as a general index for oral chemosensory perception, has been associated with a calorie-rich food preference and lower circulating endocannabinoid levels in participants with normal weight (NW), which suggests an adaptive mechanism to maintain a lean phenotype. We proposed that the lower endocannabinoid levels observed in normal weight (NW) NT than in ST represent an adaptive mechanism that is an attempt to normalize various feeding behaviours in these participants, such as the increased disinhibition typical of NT, and explains, in part, why they still exhibit a lean phenotype despite their putative preference for calorie-dense foods[21] It is not known whether this potential physiological mechanism is disrupted in the conditions of excess body fat or whether food choice, when determined more by taste sensitivity than physiological needs, may lead to a long-term positive energy balance and thereby to obesity in a different manner in ST than in NT. The assessment of the general eating attitudes of NW and OB according to their PROP taster status was as well evaluated since our previous results showed that the disinhibition score of NT was higher than those ST in NW participants[21]
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