Umami and Other Taste Perceptions in Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Different Neural Processing of Umami and Salty Taste Determined by Umami Identification Ability Independent of Repeated Umami Exposure

Patterns of sensory and hedonic responses for salty and umami tastes and their impact on food familiarity, consumption, and nutritional status: A gender-based analysis from a large population sample.

Objective: The aim of this study was to perform analysis of sensitivity to sweet, salty, and umami tastes based on three measurement methods and of the hedonic perception of taste sensations in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa (AN). The aim of the research was to confirm the results of other authors in terms of the perception of sweet and salty taste in patients with AN, and then develop knowledge about the perception of umami taste, which is still insufficiently studied. Method: A total of 110 females with an age ranging from 13 to 19 years, including 50 newly diagnosed patients with a restrictive subtype of AN and 60 healthy controls participated in gustatory research involving analyses of taste perception (recognition thresholds, ability to identify the taste correctly, taste intensity, and hedonic response) applying the sip and spit method. Results: Females with AN showed reduced sensitivity to salty taste and increased sensitivity to umami taste and, more often than healthy controls, wrongly classified the taste of solutions with a low sucrose concentration. Patients with AN assessed the sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate tastes less negatively than did control participants, and they did not show differences in their hedonic assessment of sucrose. Conclusions: The taste sensitivity alterations in females with AN demonstrated in this paper do not entail decreased hedonic assessment of taste experiences. Based on our results, we cannot consider the observed variation in taste sensitivity in patients with AN to be a factor that increases their negative attitude toward food consumption.

Taste cells are maintained by continuous turnover throughout a lifetime, yet the mechanisms of taste cell differentiation, and how taste sensations remain constant despite this continuous turnover, remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a transcription factor Etv1 (also known as Er81) is involved in the differentiation of taste cells responsible for the preference for sweet, umami, and salty tastes. Molecular analyses revealed that Etv1 is expressed by a subset of taste cells that depend on Skn-1a (also known as Pou2f3) for their generation and express T1R genes (responsible for sweet and umami tastes) or Scnn1a (responsible for amiloride-sensitive salty taste). Etv1CreERT2/CreERT2 mice express Etv1 isoform(s) but not Etv1 in putative proprioceptive neurons as comparable to wild-type mice, yet lack expression of Etv1 or an isoform in taste cells. These Etv1CreERT2/CreERT2 mice have the same population of Skn-1a-dependent cells in taste buds as wild-type mice but have altered gene expression in taste cells, with regional differences. They have markedly decreased electrophysiological responses of chorda tympani nerves to sweet and umami tastes and to amiloride-sensitive salty taste evoked by sodium cation, but they have unchanged responses to bitter or sour tastes. Our data thus show that Etv1 is involved in the differentiation of the taste cells responsible for sweet, umami, and salty taste preferences.

Do sheep use umami and bitter tastes as cues of post-ingestive consequences when selecting their diet?

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo examine associations between taste propensity and body mass index (BMI) in elderly individuals (≥ 60 years), compare taste propensity between obese and nonobese groups, and explore gender‐related differences to inform dietary interventions.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted with 231 elderly participants (aged ≥ 60 years) in Zanjan city, categorized into obese (n = 80) and nonobese (n = 151) groups. Taste propensity was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) evaluating six taste groups: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami, and fat. Pearson's correlation and independent samples t‐tests were used to examine relationships between BMI and taste propensity.ResultsInverse correlations were observed between BMI and sweet (r = −0.172, p = 0.009), bitter (r = −0.139, p = 0.035), and umami (r = −0.168, p = 0.010) taste propensities; whereas there were positive correlations between BMI and salty (r = 0.204, p = 0.002) and fat (r = 0.167, p = 0.011) taste scores. Moreover, obese participants showed a lower propensity for sweet and umami tastes (p = 0.049; p < 0.001), but a higher propensity for salty and fat tastes (p = 0.029; p = 0.024) compared to nonobese individuals. A gender difference was observed in umami propensity among obese participants, with women showing a stronger propensity (p = 0.033).ConclusionsObesity in the elderly is associated with altered taste perception, particularly an increased propensity for salty and fatty foods and a decreased propensity for sweet and umami tastes. These findings may inform tailored dietary interventions in older adults.

Memory and other neuropsychological deficits in psychosis: Differing patterns in schizophrenia and affective disorder

This study aimed to (1) evaluate the nutritional status, prevalence of malnutrition and dietary habits in individuals using substances and (2) examine the possible effects of substance use on the perception of five basic tastes. Ninety male individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) (heroin = 78, cocaine = 12) and 32 non-users participated in the study conducted at Manisa Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Center (AMATEM), Turkey. To determine the quality of the diet, the mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) was calculated based on 24-h recall food consumption records of the individuals. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) was employed to determine nutritional status, and anthropometric measurements were also taken from the individuals. The taste detection and recognition thresholds were determined with solutions with different concentrations for bitter, sour, sweet, umami and salty tastes and scored, with higher scores indicating lower thresholds. Mild-moderate malnutrition was determined in 50% of the individuals with SUD based on SGA. The body mass index (BMI) of individuals with SUD was found to be 21.2 ± 1.88 kg/m2 , and 24.1 ± 1.64 kg/m2 for non-users (p < 0.001). Diet quality, evaluated by MAR, was lower in individuals with SUD (54.7 ± 18.9%) than in non-users (93.5 ± 9.0%) (p < 0.001). The taste detection and taste recognition thresholds of individuals with SUD were impaired, and the threshold scores for sour, salty, sweet and umami taste recognition were significantly lower compared with non-users, with the lowest substance user threshold scores observed for the sweet recognition threshold. Standardised nutritional and behavioural interventions designed by dietitians should be provided for drug users in treatment centres and integrated with medical treatment practices.

Recent identification of taste receptors and their downstream signaling molecules, expressed in taste receptor cells, led to the understanding of taste coding in the periphery. Ion channels appear to mediate detection of salty and sour taste. The sensations of sweet, umami and bitter taste are initiated by the interaction of sapid molecules with the G-protein-coupled receptors T1Rs and T2Rs. Mice lacking either PLCbeta2 or TRPM5 diminish behavioral and nerve responses to sweet, umami and bitter taste stimuli, suggesting that both receptor families converge on a common signaling pathway in the taste receptor cells. Nevertheless, separate populations of taste cells appear to be uniquely tuned to sweet, umami and bitter taste. Since PLCbeta2-deficient mice still respond to sour and salty stimuli, sour and salty taste are perceived independent of bitter, umami and sweet taste. In this review, the recent characterization of the cellular mechanisms underlying taste reception and perception, and of taste coding in the periphery will be discussed.

Activation of taste buds starts during the 30th week of gestation, when the amniotic liquid and its composition variations caused by the maternal diet may stimulate foetal taste receptors. This early activation appears as a first step in the development of gustatory sensory memory, which will shape the preference for sweet, sour or salty taste, thus affecting the food choices of the future newborn and child. Individual sensitivity and the subsequent preference for the sweet taste are also determined by the presence of specific receptors and genetic factors (tasirR gene polymorphism). The development of individual preferences for some food over others is a complex process that entails both motivational and behavioural factors along with specific genetic aspects. From an evolutionary standpoint, the preference for the sweet or umami taste is due to the need to be attracted by energy-rich foods. Nowadays this need no longer exists, however the "affinity" for energy-rich foods goes back to this evolutionary advantage. In practical terms, the first stimulations of taste buds start in the womb through the amniotic liquid and then continue through the maternal milk which, as stated, changes composition as a consequence of the mother's diet. Therefore, mothers should eat a balanced diet that includes all the major classes of nutrients in order to stimulate the foetus' taste. This would promote the future baby's curiosity for all types of foods, favouring healthy food choices with regard to sweet and salty taste. The paediatric dentist can spread and promote a healthy food lifestyle from the gestation period. We will then be able to counteract a possible innate preference for sweet (and salty) taste, which can be reinforced or modified by the offering and availability of food, as well as family and cultural influences even before infancy. When parents eat healthy they set a good example for the child, thus fulfilling the aims of primary prevention, while still contributing to the success of prenatal prevention alongside the paediatric dentist.

The taste system of animals is used to detect valuable nutrients and harmful compounds in foods. In humans and mice, sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami tastes are considered the five basic taste qualities. Sweet and umami tastes are mediated by G-protein-coupled receptors, belonging to the T1R (taste receptor type1) family. This family consists of three members (T1R1, T1R2 and T1R3). They function as sweet or umami taste receptors by forming heterodimeric complexes, T1R1+T1R3 (umami) or T1R2+T1R3 (sweet). Receptors for each of the basic tastes are thought to be expressed exclusively in taste bud cells. Sweet (T1R2+T1R3-expressing) taste cells were thought to be segregated from umami (T1R1+T1R3-expressing) taste cells in taste buds. However, recent studies have revealed that a significant portion of taste cells in mice expressed all T1R subunits and responded to both sweet and umami compounds. This suggests that sweet and umami taste cells may not be segregated. Mice are able to discriminate between sweet and umami tastes, and both tastes contribute to behavioural preferences for sweet or umami compounds. There is growing evidence that T1R3 is also involved in behavioural avoidance of calcium tastes in mice, which implies that there may be a further population of T1R-expressing taste cells that mediate aversion to calcium taste. Therefore the simple view of detection and segregation of sweet and umami tastes by T1R-expressing taste cells, in mice, is now open to re-examination.

Perception and hedonic value of basic tastes in domestic ruminants

The effect of temperature on umami taste has not been previously studied in humans. Reported here are 3 experiments in which umami taste was measured for monopotassium glutamate (MPG) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) at solution temperatures between 10 and 37 °C. Experiment 1 showed that for subjects sensitive to MPG on the tongue tip, 1) cooling reduced umami intensity whether sampled with the tongue tip or in the whole mouth, but 2) had no effect on the rate of umami adaptation on the tongue tip. Experiment 2 showed that temperature had similar effects on the umami taste of MSG and MPG on the tongue tip but not in the whole mouth, and that contrary to umami taste, cooling to 10 °C increased rather than decreased the salty taste of both stimuli. Experiment 3 was designed to investigate the contribution of the hT1R1-hT1R3 glutamate receptor to the cooling effect on umami taste by using the T1R3 inhibitor lactisole. However, lactisole failed to block the umami taste of MPG at any temperature, which supports prior evidence that lactisole does not block umami taste for all ligands of the hT1R1-hT1R3 receptor. We conclude that temperature can affect sensitivity to the umami and salty tastes of glutamates, but in opposite directions, and that the magnitude of these effects can vary across stimuli and modes of tasting (i.e., whole mouth vs. tongue tip exposures).

Adapting to post-COVID19 research in Parkinson's disease: Lessons from a multinational experience

Event Abstract Back to Event Representation of umami and salt taste in the human brain Preet Bano Singh1*, Emilia Iannilli1 and Thomas Hummel1 1 University of Dresden Medical School, Deapertment of Otorhinolaryngology, Germany Introduction: The aim of this fMRI study was two-fold 1) to elucidate the cerebral processing of salt and umami taste and 2)to investigate the laterality of the gustatory system. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 right handed subjects participated in this study. The salt and umami taste stimuli were presented at suprathreshold concentrations on the lateral ridges of the subjects tongue through a gustometer. The sequence was presented in a session of 6 repetitions on/off -block per stimulus and per side. The BOLD signal (blood oxygenation level dependent) was detected by means of a 1.5 T scanner. fMRI data analysis was implemented in SPM5 (p<0.005 cluster level= 5). Results: The main effect of the tastants was activation in the primary and secondary gustatory cortex. However, different coordinates of the activated areas were found for the two tastants inside the same brain, suggesting a segregation of the brain areas involved with the tastants. Comparing the two stimuli we found that the positive effect of MSG on NaCl was evidently highlighted in the limbic lobe. On the contrary the positive effect of NaCl on MSG elicited activations in areas more common to taste perception. The conjunction analysis revealed common activated areas for the two tastants in the primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortex, premotor cortex, but also in the secondary taste areas. With regard to lateralization within the gustatory system, the BOLD contrast for the MSG stimulus was significantly bigger on the right side of the brain when the stimulus was presented to the left side as compared to the right side presentation of the stimulus. Moreover the opposite contrast for MSG highlighted only few brain areas including the left orbitofrontal cortex. The contrary appeared when the stimulus was NaCl. Conclusions: This result suggests a contralaterality of the brain response to the MSG stimuli but an ipsilaterality for the NaCl stimuli with a strong and general right sided lateralization of the brain for salt taste perception. Keywords: fMRI, gustatory cortex, limbic lobe, salt, Taste, umami Conference: Human Chemosensation 2010, Dresden, Germany, 2 Dec - 4 Dec, 2010. Presentation Type: Presentation Topic: Human Chemosensation 2010 Citation: Singh P, Iannilli E and Hummel T (2011). Representation of umami and salt taste in the human brain. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Human Chemosensation 2010. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2011.85.00002 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 26 Jan 2011; Published Online: 03 May 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Preet Bano Singh, University of Dresden Medical School, Deapertment of Otorhinolaryngology, Dresden, 01307, Germany, p.b.singh@odont.uio.no Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Preet Bano Singh Emilia Iannilli Thomas Hummel Google Preet Bano Singh Emilia Iannilli Thomas Hummel Google Scholar Preet Bano Singh Emilia Iannilli Thomas Hummel PubMed Preet Bano Singh Emilia Iannilli Thomas Hummel Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.