The effect of miraculin on the flow rate of parotid salivary secretion

Abstract

Aim: This paper investigates the effect of modifying the taste perception on the flow rate of parotid salivary secretion in human by utilizing Miraculin (MCL) as a taste-modifying agent. Methods: Gustatory-parotid responses were obtained from seven subjects for several tastants before and after the consumption of a taste modifying protein, Miraculin. Results: A noticeable similarity in the effect of a mixture solution of sucrose and citric acid and that of an MCL-induced citric acid solution was reported. Sweetness was always the perceived taste for all tastants after the consumption of MCL. The descriptions only differed in the degree of sweetness. Parotid responses for sucrose and citric acid, after the consumption of MCL, reflected taste perception descriptions obtained from subjects particularly with the MCL-induced sweet taste after applying the 10× variant of citric acid. The MCL effect suppressed parotid salivary flow rates when both sucrose and the less concentrated acid solutions were applied. The opposite occurred when the more concentrated acid solution was applied. A mixed solution of sucrose and citric acid 10× had a comparable effect on the mean parotid salivary flow rate to that of the MCL-induced effect of citric acid 10× alone. While before the consumption of MCL the mixed solution evoked mean parotid responses that exceeded those for citric acid 10× alone. Yet, this was not the case with the less concentrated variant of citric acid. Conclusions: MCL-induced sweetness has evoked a significant increase in the parotid salivary flow. Further work needs to be carried out to characterize and more fully understand taste perception, quality coding, and binary taste interactions.