Basic Tastes Research Articles

UmamiPreDL: Deep learning model for umami taste prediction of peptides using BERT and CNN

Taste is crucial in driving food choice and preference. Umami is one of the basic tastes defined by characteristic deliciousness and mouthfulness that it imparts to foods. Identification of ingredients to enhance umami taste is of significant value to food industry. Various models have been shown to predict umami taste using feature encodings derived from traditional molecular descriptors such as amphiphilic pseudo-amino acid composition, dipeptide composition, and composition-transition-distribution. Highest reported accuracy of 90.5 % was recently achieved through novel model architecture. Here, we propose use of biological sequence transformers such as ProtBert and ESM2, trained on the Uniref databases, as the feature encoders block. With combination of 2 encoders and 2 classifiers, 4 model architectures were developed. Among the 4 models, ProtBert-CNN model outperformed other models with accuracy of 95 % on 5-fold cross validation data and 94 % on independent data.

Taste the music: Modality-general representation of affective states derived from auditory and gustatory stimuli

Prior studies have extensively examined modality-general representation of affect across various sensory modalities, particularly focusing on auditory and visual stimuli. However, little research has explored the modality-general representation of affect between gustatory and other sensory modalities. This study aimed to investigate whether the affective responses induced by tastes and musical pieces could be predicted within and across modalities. For each modality, eight stimuli were chosen based on four basic taste conditions (sweet, bitter, sour, and salty). Participants rated their responses to each stimulus using both taste and emotion scales. The multivariate analyses including multidimensional scaling and classification analysis were performed. The findings revealed that auditory and gustatory stimuli in the sweet category were associated with positive valence, whereas those from the other taste categories were linked to negative valence. Additionally, auditory and gustatory stimuli in sour taste category were linked to high arousal, whereas stimuli in bitter taste category were associated with low arousal. This study revealed the potential mapping of gustatory and auditory stimuli onto core affect space in everyday experiences. Moreover, it demonstrated that emotions evoked by taste and music could be predicted across modalities, supporting modality-general representation of affect.

Получение и обработка акустических откликов волн Лэмба в датчиках водных растворов базовых вкусов

В работе измерены суммарные потери акустических волн в пластинах 128°Y-LiNbO3 при нанесении жидкости, обусловленные радиационным излучением волн в жидкую среду, а также ее вязкостью, электропроводностью, плотностью и диэлектрической проницаемостью жидкостного аналита. В качестве тестируемых выбраны растворы с 5-ю базовыми вкусами, широко применяемые для калибровки и создания эталонов при тестировании жидких сред. Измерения проведены в диапазоне 30…60 МГц. Экспериментальные данные были представлены в виде полярных гистограмм, из сравнения площадей и формы которых определялся вкус того или иного раствора. К тем же экспериментальным результатам был применен метод анализа большого массива данных (РСА) для описания линейных процессов деформации упругих волн на основе экспериментальных данных, содержащих известные значения измерений физических показателей волны для различных типов жидкостных сред, который ранее использовался для идентификации газов и предсказания свойств различных веществ по линейному отклику нормальной акустоэлектронной волны. Выполнен сравнительный анализ результатов, полученных с помощью полярных гистограмм и стандартного метода классификации РСА. Продемонстрированы преимущества последнего. Результаты данного исследования полезны как при разработке акустических датчиков без сенсорных слоев, так и для применения методов машинного обучения к данным в других типах датчиков.

Effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, growth performance, temperament and markers of immune function for newly received feedlot cattle.

Ninety Angus × Hereford steers (259.9 ± 36.18kg body weight (BW)), were used in a 56-d experiment to assess the effects of flavoring additives on feed intake, and stress and immune response of newly received feedlot cattle. Steers were homogenously distributed by BW into six pens equipped with an individual feed intake monitoring system, and pen was randomly assigned to one of three treatments (15 head/pen; 30 head/treatment): a standard feedlot receiving diet (CT), or the same diet with a flavoring additive comprised of either sweeteners (Luctarom Feedlot, SW) or a mix of basic tastes (Luctarom Feedlot Mix, MX) at 1kg/mT. Pens were equipped with a feed intake monitoring system, while BW, chute behavior, flight speed, blood and saliva samples were collected bi-weekly, and hair samples collected at 4-week intervals during the study. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model for a pen study using individual animal records with repeated measures. There was a treatment × week interaction (P < 0.01) where meal duration was greater in SW steers than MX and CT on wk 3, and than CT on wk 7 and 8. A trend for treatment × week interaction (P = 0.06) showed that the number of visits per day tended to be greater in SW than MX steers on wk 4 and 5, and it tended to be greater in SW than MX and CT on wk 5. The concentration of IL-6 was greater (P <0.01) on d 1 and 28 than on d 14. The IgM concentration was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to d 14, 28 and 56. The concentration of haptoglobin was greater (P < 0.01) on 14 than d 28, 42 and 56, and it was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 than d 42 and 56. The concentration of serum amyloid A was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to the rest of sampling days. Fibrinogen concentration was greater (P < 0.01) on d 1 compared to d 14 and 42. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was greater (P < 0.01) on d 42 and 56 compared to d 1 and 28, and greater (P < 0.01) on d 14 compared to d 28. Hair and saliva cortisol concentration were lower (P < 0.01) on d 56 compared to d 1 and 28, respectively. The use of flavoring additives, particularly when based on sweeteners (SW), caused some changes in the feeding pattern of newly received steers. These changes, however, were not consistent over the 56-d feeding period and were not accompanied by a change in growth performance, temperament, biomarkers of stress, inflammation, or immune function.

Membrane-bound chemoreception of bitter bile acids and peptides is mediated by the same subset of bitter taste receptors

The vertebrate sense of taste allows rapid assessment of the nutritional quality and potential presence of harmful substances prior to ingestion. Among the five basic taste qualities, salty, sour, sweet, umami, and bitter, bitterness is associated with the presence of putative toxic substances and elicits rejection behaviors in a wide range of animals including humans. However, not all bitter substances are harmful, some are thought to be health-beneficial and nutritious. Among those compound classes that elicit a bitter taste although being non-toxic and partly even essential for humans are bitter peptides and l-amino acids. Using functional heterologous expression assays, we observed that the 5 dominant human bitter taste receptors responsive to bitter peptides and amino acids are activated by bile acids, which are notorious for their extreme bitterness. We further demonstrate that the cross-reactivity of bitter taste receptors for these two different compound classes is evolutionary conserved and can be traced back to the amphibian lineage. Moreover, we show that the cross-detection by some receptors relies on “structural mimicry” between the very bitter peptide l-Trp-Trp-Trp and bile acids, whereas other receptors exhibit a phylogenetic conservation of this trait. As some bile acid-sensitive bitter taste receptor genes fulfill dual-roles in gustatory and non-gustatory systems, we suggest that the phylogenetic conservation of the rather surprising cross-detection of the two substance classes could rely on a gene-sharing-like mechanism in which the non-gustatory function accounts for the bitter taste response to amino acids and peptides.

A taste alteration-related scale assesses megestrol to improve chemotherapy-induced anorexia.

We evaluated the efficacy of megestrol in improving chemotherapy-related anorexia by analyzing the related scales of taste alteration. We conducted the current study on a group of advanced patients with cancer with two or more chemotherapy cycles. The chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAs) scale helped assess the megestrol effects on basic taste perception, aversive taste changes, unpleasant symptoms, and associated concerns. Furthermore, the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire scale (SNAQ) helped measure the impact of megestrol on malnutrition likelihood in patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced anorexia. The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF Scale was used to evaluate the quality of life of participants, producing scores related to physical health, psychological well-being, environmental factors, and social relationships. The CiTAs scale assessment indicated that administering megestrol significantly enhanced taste perception among advanced patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Notably, the megestrol group patients showed significantly higher Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) scores than the control group. The megestrol group patients also exhibited higher physiological (PHYS) scores than their control group counterparts. However, this distinction was not statistically significant. The study findings indicate that patients who received megestrol demonstrated significantly higher scores in psychological (PSYCH) and environmental(ENVIR) domains than the control group. Furthermore, megestrol administration was associated with significantly elevated SOCIL and ENVIR levels in patients. The proficient efficacy evaluation of megestrol in enhancing appetite, mitigating malnutrition likelihood, and improving the quality of life of chemotherapy-induced anorexic patients can be achieved through taste-related scales.

Taste Dysfunction and its Relationship to HbA1C Level and Disease Duration in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Autonomic Neuropathy

Background and Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) effect quality of life very much and causes variouscomplications. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) is one of the common complications in diabetes. Thuspresent study was aimed at determining taste dysfunction in a population of T2DM subjects and its correlation with HbA1c level.Material and Methods: This was an observational cross sectional study which was carried over a period of one year in the department of medicine, Tertiary care institute of India. The 100 patients of T2DM with autonomicneuropathy and 100 healthy controls were taken for the study. Autonomic neuropathy was assessed clinically.Chemical taste test using four solutions of basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) were done.Results: There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of HbA1c (%) (p≤0.05), with the median HbA1c (%) being highest in the chemical taste dysfunction: sweet: yes group. Strength of association (Point- Biserial correlation)=0.49. There was a significant difference between the various groups in terms of distribution of chemical taste dysfunction: Sweet (p≤0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of duration of T2DM (years) (p&gt;0.05).Conclusion: The study found a significant correlation between taste dysfunction and HbA1C level and bloodsugar fasting level in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Alteration in taste was mainly for sweet. Sour, and bitter did not show any difference in case groups compared to controls.

Evolutionary origins of bitter taste receptors in jawed vertebrates

Taste is a sense that detects information about nutrients and toxins in foods. Of the five basic taste qualities, bitterness is associated with the detection of potentially harmful substances like plant alkaloids. In bony vertebrates, type 2 taste receptors (T2Rs), which are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), act as bitter taste receptors1,2. In vertebrates, six GPCR gene families are described as chemosensory receptor genes, encoding taste receptor families (T1Rs and T2Rs) and olfactory receptor families (ORs, V1Rs, V2Rs, and TAARs). These families of receptors have been found in all major jawed vertebrate lineages, except for the T2Rs, which are confined to bony vertebrates3. Therefore, T2Rs are believed to have emerged later than the other chemosensory receptor genes in the bony vertebrate lineage. So far, only the genomes of two cartilaginous fish species have been mined for TAS2R genes, which encode T2Rs4. Here, we identified novel T2Rs in elasmobranchs, namely selachimorphs (sharks) and batoids (rays, skates, and their close relatives) by an exhaustive search covering diverse cartilaginous fishes. Using functional and mRNA expression analyses, we demonstrate that their T2Rs are expressed in the oral taste buds and contribute to the detection of bitter compounds. This finding indicates the early origin of T2Rs in the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates.

Change in taste sensation after orthognathic surgery

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of orthognathic surgery on taste sensation.Materials and methodsThirty-five patients scheduled to undergo Le Fort I osteotomy (LFIO), sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO), and bimaxillary surgery (BMS) were evaluated by administering localized and whole-mouth taste tests preoperatively and postoperatively at months 1, 3, and 6. The patients were asked to identify the quality of four basic tastes applied to six locations on the palate and tongue and to rate the taste intensities they perceived. Taste recognition thresholds and taste intesity scores were evaluted according to operation groups and follow-ups.ResultsThere were significant decreases in the quinine HCl recognition thresholds at the postoperative follow-ups compared to the preoperative in LFIO patients (p = 0.043). There were significant decreases in sucrose taste intensity scores in the right posterolateral part of the tongue at months 3 and 6 compared to preoperative in SSRO patients (p = 0.046), and significant increases in quinine HCL taste intensity scores in the right and left anterior parts of the tongue at month 6 compared to preoperative in LFIO patients (p < 0.05).ConclusionTaste perception is affected due to potential damage to the chemosensory nerves during orthognathic surgical procedures. Generally, non-significant alterations have been observed in taste perception after orthognathic surgery, except for significant alterations in bitter and sweet taste perceptions.Clinical relevanceMaxillofacial surgeons should be aware of taste perception change after orthognathic surgery procedures and patients should be informed accordingly.The trial registration number (TRN)NCT06103422/Date of registration: 10.17.2023 (retrospectively registered).

Association of emojis to the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami)

The increasing prevalence of computer-mediated communication has given rise to a pictogram known as emojis, offering an intuitive and informal means of conveying emojis and attitudes. This study aimed to establish a communication code linking basic tastes to emojis, as a way to facilitate the externalization of emotions. It explored how emojis correspond to basic tastes, focusing on consumers' perception of the umami taste through food emojis. An online survey involving 285 voluntvb bveers was performed. The questionnaire consisted of 42 questions, with 41 aimed at associating emojis with the five basic tastes; and one focused on associating food emojis with the umami taste. The results emphasized an inherent connection between certain emojis and basic tastes. Bitter and sour tastes were predominantly associated with emojis conveying negative feelings, while sweet and salty tastes were linked with positive emojis. Additionally, the umami taste was characterized by emojis expressing notions of something incredible, fascinating, impressive, or exciting. Respondents predominantly associated the following food emojis with the umami taste: cheese, instant noodles, bacon, popcorn, pizza, sushi, and red meat. This research delved into the connection between taste perception and emotional expression through emojis, demonstrating how these digital symbols effectively capture human taste expressions. The findings underscore a clear association between basic tastes and specific emojis, highlighting consumers' awareness of foods rich in umami taste. The results of this study indicate the potential of using non-verbal, digital and simplified communication for use in sensory analysis related to the perception of basic tastes.

The Taste Liking Questionnaire (TasteLQ) – A tool for assessment of taste liking in the Danish population

This study aimed to develop and validate a Taste Liking Questionnaire (TasteLQ) to measure the liking of taste and oral sensations represented by food items in the Danish adult population. Food items adapted to the Danish culture were selected to represent five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami), fat sensation and two oral sensations (astringency and pungency). The reliability and validity of the TasteLQ were assessed in a multi-step process. The list of selected items was refined by an expert panel and subsequently clustered based on taste and sensation intensity ratings confirming their singularity for each modality. TasteLQ was found to be clear and quick to complete with a good test–retest reliability. In a hedonic liking evaluation (n = 38), moderate agreement was found between questionnaire-based taste liking scores and direct measurements of taste liking. Construct validity of each intensity-derived modality was evaluated in Danish participants (n = 7,201). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed one, two, and three-factor structures with adequate fit of the tested models. The majority of identified factors displayed an acceptable to good internal consistency reliability. Factor analysis led to the exclusion of four items consequently yielding a final 44-item questionnaire. In conclusion, TasteLQ is a valid and feasible tool to measure taste and sensation liking in Danish adults. The questionnaire can be implemented in large-scale studies from which valuable insight to the role of taste liking in food choice, eating behavior, and disease risk factors can be gained.

Binding-Free Taste Visualization with Plasmonic Metasurfaces.

Taste sensors using photonics, termed artificial photonic tongues, have emerged as a promising platform for intuitive taste discrimination. However, the need for complex binding protocols for each taste profile limits their applicability to a narrow range of taste molecules. Here, we introduce an intriguing "binding-free" approach to molecular taste sensing using plasmonics, eliminating the requirement for physical or chemical binding protocols. We develop a wafer-scale plasmonic metasurface constructed by coating metallic nanoparticles in a scalable manner onto a metallic mirror. This metasurface functions to detect molecular refractive indices and surface tensions via 2D projection optical images of an array of liquid droplets containing the taste molecules on top, which can immediately visualize and distinguish between the five basic tastes of molecules (including their mixtures) as well as other additional spicy and alcoholic tastes. We anticipate that this intuitive and rapid taste-sensing approach has the potential to establish a user-friendly and portable taste-sensing platform.

Evaluation of different taste sensations along with body mass index (BMI) in geriatric patients with and without complete dentures.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acrylic full removable dentures on the perception of four primary tastes (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter), as well as to determine if there is a correlation between changes in body mass index (BMI) and taste perception. A total of 60 patients who wore acrylic removable dentures and 60 controls were included in the study as a convenient sample. Sixteen solutions for basic tastes were prepared, and the patients were asked to identify the taste of each solution from the lowest concentration. Anthropometric measures, such as height and weight, were measured and recorded in an MS-Excel sheet. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The results showed that patients with complete removable dentures had lower taste scores for sourness (P < 0.001) and sweetness (P < 0.001) compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in salt taste scores (P = 0.218) and bitterness (P = 0.002) between the two groups. Additionally, the study found a correlation between lower BMI values and higher taste scores among denture-wearing patients, indicating an inverse relationship between total taste scores and BMI. The study suggests that geriatric patients with complete dentures have reduced taste sensations compared to those without dentures which can have a negative impact on their nutritional status. Therefore, it is crucial to provide adequate nutritional support and dietary counseling for geriatric patients based on health policy to maintain their overall health and well-being.

PROP taste status has limited impact on wine flavour perception and acceptability by consumers

Individual differences in the perception of oral and retro-olfactive stimuli can affect wine consumer’s preference. The aim of this work was to understand how individual variation in PROP taste status (PTS) (response to 6-n-propylthiouracil) affects the perceived intensity of oral (acid, sweet, bitter, astringency) and retro-olfactive sensory stimuli (fruity and woody aromas) and liking. The correlation between PROP responsiveness and the intensity of basic tastes using impregnated strips and with saliva composition, was also assessed. A cohort of wine consumers (n = 279) segmented by age-gender (being 45 y.o. the cut-off point for young/adult) and characterized by their PTS, tested six white and six red wines (WW, RW) modified with chemical compounds to elicit a predominant sensory stimulus. Results from comparing supertasters (STs) and no tasters (NTs) consumers showed a positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the perception of most basic tastes (acid, bitter, salty) and PROP responsiveness. However, salivary flow rate and total proteins did not show significant differences depending on PTS. The relationship of PTS with perceived intensity and acceptability was also rather low when evaluating the wines. Only the intensity scores of some sensory stimuli (woody aroma, astringency, sweet taste) showed a trend (p < 0.10). Young STs scored with higher intensity the woody aroma (females) and the sweet taste (males) of RW. NTs young-males and adult-females perceived with higher intensity the astringency and woody aroma of WW respectively. The effect of PTS on wine liking was also limited to some specific sensory attributes (sweet, astringent, fruity) mainly in white wines.

Smart Multiple Photoresponsive Tongue for Sensing Umami, Sour and Bitter Tastes Based on Tb3+ Functionalized Hydrogen‐Bonded Organic Frameworks

AbstractArtificial tongues have attracted increasing attention for the perception abilities of five basic tastes. However, simple and versatile identification of different tastes is a formidable challenge for bionic taste sensor. Enriching photoluminescence mechanisms to improve possibilities of multiple optical responses is conducive to simplify the sensor array. Herein, a single sensor Tb@MCATMA (Tb@1) is developed displaying dual‐emissions of both green fluorescence and deep‐blue phosphorescence by ternary co‐assembly of Tb3+, trimesic acid (TMA) and a 2D hydrogen‐bonded organic framework of melamine and cyanuric acid, MCA HOF. This sensor is capable of imitating the human gustatory system to identify and discriminate umami (disodium 5′‐inosinate and disodium 5′‐guanylate), sour (citric acid and oxalic acid) and bitter (2‐furaldehyde and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural) substances through the diverse photoresponsive modes. Upon excitation wavelength as additional variable, the sensor can further collect the individual “fingerprint information” of six analytes related to tastes and quantitatively detect them with high accuracy. Moreover, the sensing mechanism of each analyte is explored in detail and substantiate that the uniform photoresponsive modes elicited by distinct analytes stem from the shared sensing mechanism. This work provides a facile and powerful sensor platform for taste perception to develop artificial photoresponsive tongue applicable to bionic gustatory system.

Hot and round: How temperature and shape impact the multisensory appreciation of cornmeal

Rounded shapes are significantly more liked and are typically also evaluated as warmer and sweeter than angular shapes/foods. Here, we assessed the temperature-shape crossmodal pairing for cornmeal. In a between-participants experimental design conducted in an ecologically-valid restaurant setting, we investigated the appreciation of differently-shaped pieces of cornmeal (rounded vs. rectangular) for different serving temperatures (room-temperature vs. hot presentation). 282 participants (165 female, mean age of 37 years, SD = 11 years, age range 17–62 years) tasted the cornmeal and evaluated it with respect to several sensorial qualities (i.e., temperature, wetness, texture, elasticity, and liking) and indicated the perceived dominant taste from amongst the five basic tastes. The results highlight that when tasted hot, cornmeal is evaluated as being significantly wetter, softer, as well as more elastic. As expected, irrespective of the actual serving temperature, the rounded form of presentation is preferred to the rectangular serving of cornmeal. The cornmeal was evaluated as tasting salty, with the umami taste also significantly attributed only to the rectangular cornmeal when served at room-temperature. A further control study conducted with a sample of 30 participants tasting pieces of irregularly-shaped room-temperature cornmeal further demonstrated the salty and umami taste of the cornmeal sampled in the present study. These results highlight the importance of serving temperature and how temperature interacts with food shape. The findings are discussed in the context of current theories of crossmodal correspondences, with consideration of the importance of temperature perception in gastronomic settings.

Basic taste sensitivity, eating behaviour, food propensity and BMI of preadolescent children: How are they related?

Taste sensitivity has been reported to influence children's eating behaviour and contribute to their food preferences and intake. This study aimed to investigate the associations between taste sensitivity, eating behaviour, food frequency and BMI (Body Mass Index) in preadolescents. Preadolescents' taste sensitivity was measured by detection threshold of sweetness (sucrose), sourness (citric acid), saltiness (sodium chloride), bitterness (caffeine, quinine), and umami (monosodium glutamate). In addition, the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), the Food Propensity Questionnaire (FPQ) measuring food frequency, and the children's body weight and height were completed by the parents. A total of 69 child-parent dyads participated (preadolescents mean age =10.9 years). Taste sensitivity to caffeine bitterness was significantly associated with eating behaviour in food responsiveness, emotional overeating, and desire to drink. The preadolescents who were less sensitive to caffeine bitterness had higher food responsiveness scores. Those who were less sensitive to caffeine bitterness and to sweetness had higher emotional overeating scores. In addition, preadolescents who were less sensitive to sourness and bitterness of both caffeine and quinine demonstrated to have higher scores in desire to drink. There was no association between taste sensitivity and FPQ, but significant differences were observed across preadolescents' BMI for FPQ of dairy food items, indicating higher consumption of low-fat milk in the overweight/obese compared to the underweight/normal-weight subjects. There was no significant difference in taste sensitivity according to BMI. Preadolescents' eating behaviour differed across BMI, demonstrating a positive association between BMI and food approach, and a negative association between BMI and food avoidance. This study contributes to the preliminary understanding of the relationships between taste sensitivity and eating behaviour in preadolescents. The results may be used to develop effective strategies to promote healthy eating practices by considering taste sensitivity in preadolescents.

Individual differences in sensitivity to taste-shape crossmodal correspondences

People generally associate curved and symmetrical shapes with sweetness, while associating angular and asymmetrical shapes with the other basic tastes (e.g., sour, bitter). However, these group-level taste-shape correspondences likely conceal important variation at an individual-level. We examined the extent to which individuals vary in their sensitivity to crossmodal correspondence between curvature and symmetry, on the one hand, and the five basic taste qualities (sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami), on the other. In Experiment 1, participants matched shapes (curved vs. angular, symmetrical vs. asymmetrical) and taste words. In Experiment 2, participants performed a similar task, though this time using actual tastants. Given that people differ in their hedonic experience of such shapes and tastes, we also measured participants’ liking for each taste and shape separately. The results replicate the general crossmodal correspondences between curved-sweet and symmetrical-sweet stimuli. Furthermore, participants tended to match sour and bitter tastes with angular and asymmetrical stimuli. However, these group-level taste-shape correspondences coexist alongside substantial variation at the level of the individual. While some participants consistently matched specific tastes with curved and symmetrical stimuli, others consistently matched these tastes with angular and asymmetrical stimuli, or else did not show these taste-shape correspondences. Liking for curved and symmetrical stimuli was higher than for angular and asymmetrical stimuli. However, participants also differed considerably in the extent to which these visual features affected their liking. Overall, our findings highlight the substantial individual differences that are associated with the degree to which people associate and like shapes and tastes.

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) fruit: A superior dietary source of natural glutathione and γ-glutamylcysteine

Numerous age-related degenerative diseases have been linked to diminished intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH), a vital antioxidant in the human body. Unfortunately, exogenous GSH encounters various barriers that prevent its entry into most human cells. γ-Glutamylcysteine (γ-EC), an immediate precursor of GSH, is a potential therapeutic agent that restores cellular GSH levels. Additionally, both compounds can serve as kokumi taste substances and enhance basic taste sensations. Considering the growing interest among health-conscious consumers toward naturally derived diets, the incorporation of fresh fruits and vegetables abundant in GSH and γ-EC presents a promising alternative for supplementation. Screening of various plant samples, including fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, revealed that ripe durian pulp exhibited the highest levels of GSH (∼2.6) and γ-EC (∼14) per milligram per gram of dry weight. Owing to the popularity of durian-related products, we extended our investigation to analyze GSH and γ-EC contents in processed products. Notably, durian chips and pastes displayed a significant decrease in GSH and γ-EC levels, suggesting their sensitivity to heat. This observation was further validated by the observed instability of GSH and γ-EC standards during heat treatment. Our findings underscore the potential of durian fruit as a rich dietary source of GSH and γ-EC.

Prevalence of Taste Changes among Tobacco Users in Patients Visiting Dental Hospital – A Comparative Cross-sectional Study

Background: Impaired taste perception has impact on quality of life; Tobacco being an important contributing factor. Aim: To understand the impact of using tobacco on gustation among patients with habit of tobacco. Method: A total of 60 subjects enrolled divided into 3 groups (group 1): Habit of using tobacco without lesions; Group II: Patients with habit of using tobacco with tobacco associated lesions like leukoplakia, OSMF, oral cancer, tobacco pouch keratosis; Group III: Healthy individuals. Taste identification time using four aqueous solutions of basic tastes – sweet, salty, sour, and bitter – was recorded (in seconds) and compared among three groups. The data were analyzed using Student’s t-test and analysis of variance using SPSS 20 version software. Results: Results revealed 40% of patients with tobacco habits had significant alteration in taste with sour taste identified as salt in tobacco users. Sweet taste identification took longer time followed by salt, bitter and sour in Group 2 patients with statistical highly significant difference (P=.001) between Group 1 and Group 2 when compared to control group (Group 3) for all the taste. Conclusion: Hence there exists a definite alteration of taste with greater time taken in identifying a particular taste in tobacco users.