Differences In Taste Responses Research Articles

Sensory acceptability and personality traits both determine which contexts are preferred for consumption of alcoholic cocktails

Alcoholic cocktails are consumed in very different situations and then consumers may differ in their favorite context to drink a cocktail. Diversity in the preferred context of cocktail consumption may reflect individual differences in taste responsiveness and personality traits as well as cocktail liking. This study aims at: 1) extending the efficacy of a coupled semiotic and statistical methodology for text analysis in uncovering aspects of preferred contexts of cocktail consumption; 2) testing if specific preferred contexts of cocktail consumption are related to individual differences; 3) investigating the relationships between preferred context to have cocktails and patterns of liking for cocktails. 159 cocktails consumers were characterized by personality traits, cocktail involvement, alcoholic beverages intake and PROP taster status and were asked to describe their preferred context to consume an alcoholic cocktail. Consumers were then asked to taste in blind conditions and rate their liking of six alcoholic aperitif cocktails. Three thematic clusters were identified (relax, sociability, aperitif). The relax lovers preferred a comforting context to have a cocktail; these consumers expressed a lower liking for the six evaluated samples than aperitif lovers but resulted more involved with cocktails as compared to the cluster sociability. This latter group of consumers focused on social aspects and novelty; they reported a higher intake of spirits than the cluster aperitif and showed higher scores in sensation seeking and disinhibition than the other clusters. The cluster aperitif described their favorite context as a “before dinner” situation; they were more involved with cocktails than the sociability cluster. Finally, the three clusters did not differ in PROP taster status distribution. The approach has proven to be useful to collect information and to segment consumers on the preferred aspects of cocktail experience. The study showed that consumer clusters with different preferred context for cocktail consumption differ in liking for the cocktails, personality traits, attitudes and alcohol intake.

Regional Differences in Taste Responsiveness: Effect of Stimulus and Tasting Mode

Previous studies have shown that there are differences in taste responses between various regions of the tongue. Most of those studies used a controlled "passive" tasting mode due to the nature of investigation. However, food is rarely tasted in a passive manner. In addition, recent studies have suggested that humans can taste maltooligosaccharides (MOS) and that the gustatory detection of MOS is independent of the known sweet receptor. It is unknown whether regional differences in responsiveness to MOS exist. This study was set up to revisit previous work by investigating the effects of tasting mode ("passive" vs. "active") on regional differences in taste responsiveness to sucrose, monopotassium glutamate (MPG), and quinine, while also investigating potential regional differences in responsiveness to MOS. The stimuli were applied to 1 of 4 target areas, the left and right sides of the front and back of the tongue, using cotton-tipped swabs. In the passive tasting condition, the front of the tongue was found to be more responsive to both sucrose and MOS, but no regional differences were seen for quinine and MPG. In contrast, in the active tasting condition, the back of the tongue was found to be more responsive to quinine and MPG, but no differences were found for sucrose or MOS. These findings indicate that there are regional differences in taste responsiveness between the front and back of the tongue and that regional responsiveness is dependent on stimulus and tasting mode.

Exploring Ethnic Differences in Taste Perception.

It is well known that nutritional intake can vary substantially as a function of demographic variables such as ethnicity and/or sex. Although a variety of factors are known to underlie the relationship between these demographic variables and nutritional intake, it is interesting to speculate that variation in food intake associated with ethnicity or sex may result, in part, from differences in the perceived taste of foods in these different populations. Thus, we initiated a study to evaluate taste responsiveness in different ethnic groups. Moreover, because of the known differences in taste responsiveness between males and females, analyses were stratified by sex. The ethnic groups tested differed significantly from one another in reported perceived taste intensity. Our results showed that Hispanics and African Americans rated taste sensations higher than non-Hispanic Whites and that these differences were more pronounced in males. Understanding the nature of these differences in taste perception is important, because taste perception may contribute to dietary health risk. When attempting to modify diet, individuals of different ethnicities may require personalized interventions that take into account the different sensory experience that these individuals may have when consuming foods.

How do primary nutrients affect the performance and preference of forest tent caterpillars on trembling aspen?

AbstractVariation in leaf quality includes differences in both primary nutrients and secondary metabolites. Both of these factors can influence the feeding preference and resulting performance of herbivores in ways that are difficult to disentangle when comparing foliage from different sources. Our study was designed to assess the effects of the ratio of the primary nutrients in host-tree foliage, protein and sugar, on the performance and feeding behaviour of the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)). Fourth-stadium larvae were fed trembling aspen leaves (Populus tremuloides Michx (Salicaceae)) supplemented with casein, sucrose, or buffer only (control). No differences in taste responses to the three leaf types were detected. In a cafeteria situation, feeding behaviour over the short term was largely determined by the use of pheromone trails and hence depended on which leaf was contacted first. Over the longer term, caterpillars fed most on the control leaf and the sugar-supplemented leaf and discriminated against the protein-supplemented leaf. Sugar supplementation increased survivorship relative to the control treatment but slowed development and did not affect growth; protein supplementation decreased growth. These findings are consistent with past research comparing forest tent caterpillar performance and feeding preference on different host plants.

Sugar and fat conditioned flavor preferences in C57BL/6J and 129 mice: oral and postoral interactions

C57BL/6J (B6) mice consume more sugar and fat solutions than do 129 mice in 24-h preference tests. Previous studies have attributed this observation to strain differences in taste responsiveness to these nutrients. We tested the hypothesis that differences in postingestive responsiveness contribute to the strain differences. In experiment 1, B6 and 129 mice were trained to associate consumption of a flavored solution (CS+) with intragastric (IG) infusions of 16% sucrose and a different flavored solution (CS-) with IG water infusions (22 h/day). They were then retrained with new flavors paired with IG infusions of 5.6% soybean oil and water. Although both strains developed preferences for the nutrient-paired CS+ solutions, the B6 mice displayed significantly stronger preferences. The B6 mice consumed more CS+ during training, which may have contributed to their enhanced preference. In a second experiment, training intakes were equated by giving B6 and 129 mice "isosweet" CS solutions prepared with different amounts of sucrose and saccharin. The B6 and 129 mice consumed more of the sugar- or fat-paired CS+ than the water-paired CS- during training. The two strains also displayed equally strong preferences for the CS+ over CS- in choice tests, indicating that they had similar postingestive responsiveness to the sucrose and soybean oil. We propose that B6 mice consume more sugar and fat than 129 mice because their stronger orosensory response stimulates greater intake, which leads to greater stimulation of postingestive nutrient detectors and further enhancement of consumption.

Sex differences in behavioral taste responses to and ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions by rats

Sex differences in the ingestion of food and concentrated NaCl solutions by rats have been investigated for more than a quarter of a century, though the underlying mechanism(s) and the role of reproductive hormones remain the subject of debate. We hypothesized that sex differences in the ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions are attributable, in part, to sex differences in taste responses/taste perception. We employed short-access, 10-s tests along with 18-h, two-bottle preference tests to examine sex differences in sensitivity to and ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions. To evaluate the role of estrogen, we ovariectomized (OVX) female rats and then used an estrogen-replacement schedule that mimics the pattern of fluctuation of estrogen levels in intact female rats. We observed striking sex differences in the rate of licking NaCl mixed in a dilute sucrose solution. Compared to males, OVX rats with or without estrogen licked at higher rates to more concentrated NaCl solutions, suggesting that female rats are less sensitive to concentrated NaCl solutions. Although less pronounced, we also observed sex differences in the rate of licking to sucrose, particularly at lower concentrations. Compared to males, OVX rats with or without estrogen licked less, suggesting that female rats are less sensitive to lower concentrations of sucrose. Estrogen appeared to play, at most, a small role in mediating taste responses to specific concentrations of sucrose in these testing procedures. Nonetheless, sex differences in taste responses were clear, and it seems likely that such differences underlie, in part, observed differences in ingestion.

Sweetener preference of C57BL/6ByJ and 129P3/J mice.

Previous studies have shown large differences in taste responses to several sweeteners between mice of the C57BL/6ByJ (B6) and 129P3/J (129) inbred strains. The goal of this study was to compare behavioral responses of B6 and 129 mice to a wider variety of sweeteners. Seventeen sweeteners were tested using two-bottle preference tests with water. Three main patterns of strain differences were evident. First, sucrose, maltose, saccharin, acesulfame-K, sucralose and SC-45647 were preferred by both strains, but the B6 mice had lower preference thresholds and higher solution intakes. Second, the amino acids D-phenylalanine, D-tryptophan, L-proline and glycine were highly preferred by B6 mice, but not by 129 mice. Third, glycyrrhizic acid, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, thaumatin and cyclamate did not evoke strong preferences in either strain. Aspartame was neutral to all 129 and some B6 mice, but other B6 mice strongly preferred it. Thus, compared with the 129 mice the B6 mice had higher preferences for sugars, sweet tasting amino acids and several but not all non-caloric sweeteners. Glycyrrhizic acid, neohesperidin, thaumatin and cyclamate are not palatable to B6 or 129 mice.

Gustatory receptor cell responses to the sweeteners, monellin and thaumatin

Mouse gustatory responses to sucrose, monellin and thaumatin were examined extracellularly from the chorda tympani nerve and intracellularly from individual taste receptor cells. Although monellin and thaumatin taste intensely sweet to humans and old-world monkeys, they do not appear to elicit chorda tympani nerve responses in rats and other mammals. However, there is considerable species variation in the taste responses of mammals, including differences in taste responses of different strains of mice. In the present study with Slc:ICR mice, we show that chorda tympani and taste receptor cell response profiles, and behavioral results for monellin and thaumatin, are similar to response profiles for sucrose.

Differences in taste responses to Polycose and common sugars in the rat as revealed by behavioral and electrophysiological studies

Behavioral and electrophysiological experiments were performed to examine the suggestion that rats have two types of carbohydrate taste receptors, one for polysaccharides (e.g., Polycose) and one for common sugars (e.g., sucrose). Qualitative difference between the tastes of Polycose and sugars including sucrose, maltose, glucose, and fructose was surveyed by means of a conditioned taste aversion paradigm in which the number of licks for 20 s to each taste stimulus was measured. Aversive conditioning to Polycose did not generalize to sugars, while aversive conditioning to sucrose generalized to other sugars, but not to Polycose. In the electrophysiological study, taste responses of the whole chorda tympani were recorded. A proteolytic enzyme, pronase E, suppressed nerve responses to both Polycose and sugars to less than 50%. A novel anti-sweet peptide, gurmarin, strongly suppressed responses to sugars, but had essentially no effect on Polycose responses. On the other hand, KHCO 3 enhanced responses to sugars to about 300%, but had little effect on Polycose responses. These results have confirmed the notion that rats can differentiate the tastes between Polycose and common sugars and that rats have two types of carbohydrate receptors.

Taste preferences in human obesity: environmental and familial factors

Taste-response profiles influence food selection and may help distinguish among potential subgroups of obese individuals. A representative community-based sample of 61 obese and 31 lean adults tasted five sucrose solutions and nine fat-containing solid stimuli resembling cake icings. Solid stimuli contained 15-35% fat and 20-70% sucrose (by weight). No significant differences in taste responsiveness were observed between obese and lean groups. Obese subjects were then divided into subgroups based on age at onset of obesity and past fluctuations in body weight. Obese subjects characterized by large weight fluctuations showed elevated preferences for sugar and fat mixtures compared with the stable subgroup. In contrast, early age at onset of obesity (less than 10 y), thought to be a measure of familial risk, had no significant effects on taste preferences. Environmental as opposed to familial factors may be more immediate determinants of taste preferences and food choice.

Species differences in taste responses.

Species differences in taste responses.