Role Of Taste Research Articles

Long-delay learning in the pigeon: flavor, color, and flavor-mediated color aversions

In Experiment 1a, consumption by pigeons of a distinctively flavored solution was followed by toxicosis either 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 hr later. The aversions produced were strong and also a decreasing function of the CS—US interval, with substantial aversions occurring at a 9-hr delay. In Experiment 1b, consumption by pigeons of a distinctively colored solution was followed by toxicosis at these intervals. The aversions produced were weak and also a decreasing function of the CS—US interval, with no aversions occurring at delays of 3–6 hr. A within-experiment comparison of the strengths of separately conditioned flavor and color aversions across delays (Experiment 2a) confirmed that flavor aversions were stronger and survived longer delays than color aversions. A similar comparison after conditioning to the flavor—color compound (Experiment 2b) showed that color aversions were as strong or stronger than flavor aversions when the compound was followed by immediate toxicosis but that color aversions were abolished, although flavor aversions remained substantial, when the compound was followed by delayed toxicosis. The data were interpreted: (a) to have attested to the primacy of taste in the formation of food aversions, (b) to have confirmed the mediational role of taste in the formation of aversions to the exteroceptive attributes of a food object, and (c) to have provided difficulties for a sensory preconditioning model of the mediation process.

Geriatric nutrition: The role of taste and smell in appetite

Proper nutrition is essential to the health of the oral tissues, and healthy tissues enhance prosthodontic treatment of the elderly. All dentists should be prepared to offer dietary advice to this expanding population. Taste and smell are essential to proper nutrition. In the elderly the peripheral sensory receptors decline, causing the appetite to wane. Taste and aroma are inextricably intertwined in determining the palatability and acceptance of food. For example, during an upper respiratory infection, the olfactory receptors are blocked. Food becomes tasteless; it loses both flavor and aroma and the appetite declines. As a result of aging, the taste buds on the tongue and the olfactory receptors in the roof of the nasal cavity regress. In addition, the gustatory and olfactory nuclei in the brain decline, causing a reduction in appetite and diet.

Roles of taste and learning in water regulation

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Concurrent etonitazene and water intake in rats: role of taste, olfaction, and auditory stimuli.

Etonitazene and water were concurrently available to four rats during daily 1 h sessions in operant conditioning chambers equipped with two levers and two liquid dippers. A food-induced training procedure was used whereby etonitazene drinking was rapidly established by presenting rats with gradually increased drug concentrations with their daily food ration. When food was subsequently removed from the session and given post-session, etonitazene responding persisted. The rats were subsequently trained on fixed-ratio (FR) schedules with concurrent access to etonitazene and water. The number of dipper presentations compared with etonitazene concentrations (0.078–10.0 μg/ml) resulted in a typical inverted U-shaped function while etonitazene intake (μg/kg) increased directly with concentration. After drinking large quantities of etonitazene the rats showed ataxia, hyper-activity, and stereotypy. Extinction tests demonstrated that rats could discriminate between etonitazene and water on the basis of one dipper full of each liquid; the amount of etonitazene in one dipper was 0.0078 μg. Further tests showed that this discrimination was based on taste or immediate post-ingestional feedback rather than olfactory cues. An auditory stimulus was presented concurrently with responses on the drug lever; however, there was no difference in responding for the drug in the presence or absence of this stimulus except at the lowest concentration. After the extinction tests, when the lowest drug concentration was again available with concurrent water, responding was substantially higher in the presence of stimulus associated with availability of etonitazene. The results extend previous work on oral narcotic intake to a lever-press concurrent choice procedure which is sensitive to reinforcing effects of the drug at low concentrations.

Fiber Analysis of Human Gustatory Nerve

Human gustatory nerves, such as chorda tympani, lingual nerve and sensory component of glossopharyngeal nerve innervate the tongue and play a role in taste, pain and other senses. The gustatory nerves are regarded as a particular sensory nervous system, but the size (diametor) and the distribution of nerve fibers in those gustatory nerves have been little understood, especially in human materials.We attempted to analyse the number, size and distribution of the representative human gustatory nerves— lingual, glossopharyngeal and chorda tympani, and to compare findings with those seen in motor nerves. The materials were obtained at the time of surgery; a part of the lingual nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve from a 68 year old female suffering from lingual pain and the chorda tympani from a 6 year old child and 38 year old male with chronic otitis media. After the preparation of those materials by fixation and sectioning in the microtome, the nerve fibers were photographed, an the diameter measured and a count made of the total number of total nerve fibers. The result showed that the chorda tympani consisted of mainly small fibers (less than 4 microns) and the lingual nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve included larger fibers (4-8 microns) as well as small fibers. Thus the gustatory nerves have a significantly different composition of nerve fibers as compared to motor nerve.

The reduced form price elasticity of housing

This paper focuses on the modeling of the housing market. First, there is a discussion of terminology. The importance of distinguishing between housing and structures, and between reduced form and supply elasticities is emphasized. Second, the role of tastes and technology is emphasized. Third, the integration of the housing market into a general equilibrium urban model to investigate such issues as the effects of a housing subsidy is discussed. Throughout attention is drawn to what additional information is needed to provide an adequate empirical characterization of the housing market.

Taste and physiological need in vitamin C intake by guinea pigs

Albino female guinea pigs showed an elevated intake of dilute (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/ml) solutions of vitamin C compared to distilled water in 2- and 6-bottle intake tests. Large doses of ascorbic acid (30 mg/day) failed to reduce the guinea pigs' daily intake of vitamin C. Nondeficient guinea pigs consumed 10 times more vitamin C each day than their minimum daily requirement. Scorbutic guinea pigs failed to show an immediate increased appetite for a 5 mg/ml solution of vitamin C. Nevertheless, sufficient amounts of vitamin C were consumed to restore health. As their health improved, the scorbutic guinea pigs drank more of the concentrated vitamin C solution. The role of taste and physiological need in the intake of vitamin C solutions by guinea pigs is discussed.

Role of gustation in sodium appetite

Previous studies indicated that gustatory signals are critical for regulation of sodium intake. The present study was concerned with the relative effects of sodium repletion via ingestion and via gastric intubation upon the satiation of sodium appetite in rats subjected to sodium depletion for the first time in their lives. The results showed that, in comparison to glucose or sham intubation, sodium intubation has no short-term satiating effect, whereas prior ingestion of sodium results in complete satiation of sodium appetite.

The stereospecificity of the inositol receptor of the silkworm Bombyx mori

The specificity of the ‘sugar-sensitive’ hair (Ss-I) in the silkworm to the 9 isomers of myo-inositol was studied electrophysiologically. Of the 9 isomers only myo-, epi- and allo-inositol receptor activity. Using various mixtures of these cyclitols and sucrose it was determined that the inositol receptor located in the Ss-I hair responded only to myo- and epi-inositol while allo-inositol stimulated another receptor in the same hair. Threshold and magnitude of response of this receptor were nearly the same for both cyclitols. Configurational specificity of the inositol receptor and its role in taste and lipid metabolism are discussed.

Regulation of taste acuity by thiols and metal ions.

The administration of thiol-containing drugs decreases taste acuity in man and animals. Copper (II) and zine (II) administration returns taste acuity to normal levels. The results suggest that (1) thiols and metals are in dynamic equilibrium in the metabolic net, (2) regulation of taste acuity occurs through changes which thiols and/or metals bring about in the conformation of a protein which lines the pore of the taste receptor and its membrane, and (3) thiols normally play an inhibitory role in taste.

Deprivation and the role of taste in food intake

Rats were given single-stimulus feeding tests after varying degrees of food deprivation. Isocaloric diets containing different levels of quinine sulfate were used. Intake was measured after 30, 60, and 120 min of eating. At all deprivation levels and at all intervals, intake was negatively related to QSO4 concentration. While deprivation level increased intake of all diets, it did not influence relative intake among diets. These results do not support the view that the effects of taste on food intake change as a function of deprivation level.

Roles of taste and postingestional factors in the satiation of sodium appetite in rats.

Roles of taste and postingestional factors in the satiation of sodium appetite in rats.

Nutritional Value and Feed Acceptability

AN “inherent wisdom” of animals which enables them to select a nutritionally optimum diet is commonly proposed. Specific appetites are accepted scientific phenomena; an example is the salt hunger that accompanies adrenal insufficiency. Kare and Medway (1959) observed that the sugar, xylose, which has toxic properties was rejected by the fowl. On the other hand, Halpern et al. (1961) observed that non-essential amino acid solutions were preferred by rats in a two-choice situation while essential acids were rejected.An experiment was conducted to determine if some feed materials commonly described as offensive to the fowl are in fact so. The experiment was designed to obtain information only on the gross nature of acceptance or rejection of the feedstuffs under investigation, since the role of taste was blended if not overshadowed by unmeasured factors such as shape, color, texture or combination of these effects with the other ingredients present. A further …