Specific Taste Research Articles

Poor Taste and Smell Are Associated with Poor Appetite, Macronutrient Intake, and Dietary Quality but Not with Undernutrition in Older Adults

BackgroundAge-related declines in taste and smell function are widely assumed to contribute to the decrease in appetite and the development of undernutrition in older adults. ObjectivesHere we aim to assess the associations of both taste and smell function with several nutrition-related outcomes in a single study, with poor appetite and undernutrition as primary outcomes. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional cohort study of 359 community-dwelling Dutch older adults, aged 65–93 y. Taste function was measured for all 5 basic tastes. Smell function was assessed with 3 tests: for odor identification, discrimination, and threshold. Self-reported taste and smell, appetite, energy (kcal/d) and macronutrient (% energy) intake, and covariates were assessed with extensive questionnaires. Dietary quality was calculated using the Dutch Healthy Diet index 2015, Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010, and Mediterranean Diet Score. Body measurements included body weight (current and 2 y prior), height, and body impedance analysis. Data were analyzed via multiple logistic and linear regression. ResultsOf our sample, 9.2% had poor taste and 17.0% poor smell, 6.1% had poor appetite, and 21.4% were undernourished. Self-reported poor taste (OR: 8.44; 95% CI: 1.56, 45.56; P = 0.013) was associated with poor appetite, but no other taste or smell score was associated with either poor appetite or undernutrition. Some associations were found of individual taste and smell scores with macronutrient intake and dietary quality. Self-reported poor taste and smell were both consistently associated with poorer dietary quality. ConclusionsIn community-dwelling older adults, specific taste and smell impairments may have diverse consequences for appetite, food intake, or dietary quality. However, this does not necessarily result in undernutrition. The consistent associations of self-reported poor taste and smell with poor dietary quality do underline the usefulness of this information when screening for nutritional risk.

Traditional Japanese confection overseas: Cultural difference and retronasal aroma affect flavor preference and umami perception

Food cultures differ among countries and regions. Yokan, a traditional Japanese confection, is culturally familiar to Japanese people but unfamiliar to Westerners. We investigated the effect of cultural differences and retronasal aroma on flavor preference for and taste perception of yokan among Japanese and German participants. As a control food, we also used the marshmallow, which is culturally familiar to both Japanese and German participants. Participants evaluated their preference for flavor as well as the intensity of the five basic taste qualities and retronasal aroma under the nostril-open and nostril-closed conditions. The retronasal aroma of a culturally familiar food significantly increased preference for flavor, whereas the retronasal aroma of a culturally unfamiliar food did not affect preference for flavor. Moreover, for all taste qualities, retronasal aroma induced a similar magnitude of taste enhancement between culturally familiar and unfamiliar foods, suggesting that cultural familiarity with a food does not affect taste perception. However, the retronasal aroma induced significantly greater umami enhancement in Japanese participants than in German participants, suggesting an effect of cultural familiarity with specific taste qualities on taste perception. These findings indicate that cultural differences and retronasal aroma affect flavor preference for and umami perception of food.

The Role of Technopreneurship on Development of Noodles and Testless Bread Products From Cassava (Manihot Esculenta)

This research is research and development on the form of experiments in the laboratory and aims to develop cassava products into noodles and testless bread with a touch of technology (technopreneurship). So far, cassava in Makassar is very abundant although not seasoned and the price is very low because the utilization by the community is still limited. Almost all communities in rural areas have cassava gardens. Therefore it is necessary to innovate its product development by being given a touch of technology-based technopreneurship through research. The results must be socialized so that the benefits are better and can be known by the community as raw materials for businesses that can be processed to be more productive to improve people’s lives. Experimental research has been carried out in the PKK laboratory and continued its development and application in the field. It has been started from PNBP research in 2017 and continued in 2018 with PDUPT research in the laboratory and its application on the field in 2019. The research began of an experimental trial to obtain a prototype model of noodle and white bread products from cassava which continued development and application on the field to obtain the final product model that the public likes and is suitable for production and marketing. Using experimental research methods in the laboratory and field, followed by organoleptic tests for hedonic tests and hedonic quality tests with indicators of color, taste, texture, aroma, and product quality. Using an instrument checklist with 25 trained and non trained panelists. Organoleptic test results were analyzed by descriptive and mean test of SPSS program assistance. The product is noodles and white bread made from cassava with specific taste that is liked by the community and its quality is suitable for marketing.

Fermentasyonun Mantar Turşusunun Biyoaktivitesi ve Çeşitli Özelliklerine Etkisi

Fonksiyonel bileşenlerce zengin gıda arasında yer alan mantarlar, yapılarında yüksek oranda su, doğal mikrobiyota ve enzimatik aktivite sebebi ile çabuk bozulan gıdalar arasında değerlendirilmektedir. Bu yüzden raf ömrünü uzatmak amacı ile çeşitli muhafaza yöntemlerine başvurulmaktadır. Bu muhafaza yöntemlerinden biri olan fermentasyon sırasında ortamda baskın mikrobiyota olan laktik asit bakterilerinin (LAB) kendine has tat ve aroma bileşenleri oluşturmasıyla mantar turşusu uzun süreler sevilerek tüketilebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada Kastamonu ilinden taze olarak toplanan kanlıca mantarından (Lactarius deliciosus) turşu üretimi gerçekleştirilmiş ve fermentasyon süresince meydana gelen bazı biyoaktiviteleri, fizikokimyasal, mikrobiyolojik ve duyusal özellikleri belirlenmiştir. Turşu fermentasyonu sırasında LAB gelişimiyle birlikte pH değerinin düştüğü, tersine titrasyon asitliğin yükseldiği, duyusal özellikler açısından turşunun beğenildiği gözlenmiştir. Taze mantarın toplam fenolik madde miktarının 188.73 mg Gallik Asit Eşdeğeri (GAE) /100 g kuru madde (KM) olduğu, antioksidan aktivitesinin ise; DPPH yöntemiyle 14.80 μmol Troloks Eşdeğeri (TE) /g KM, CUPRAC yöntemiyle 22.31 μmol TE /g KM ve ABTS yöntemiyle 7.72 μmol TE /g KM olduğu saptanmıştır.

The Acceptability of Tempeh Based Sausage Formulations with Natural Preservatives Addition

Sausage is a popular food for both children and adults. The main problem in sausage processing is their short shelf life. Synthetic preservatives such as nitrites are often added to sausage dough to extend the shelf life of sausages. Preservatives such as nitrites, if consumed too often can have harmful effects on health. The content of active compounds found in jasmine flowers is expected to be used as a source of natural preservatives in the processing of tempeh sausage in this study. This study aims to determine the acceptability of sausage formulations with the addition of natural preservatives. This study consisted of 3 treatments, namely tempeh sausage with extract variations of 0%, 0.1%, and 0.25%. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD). The concentration of jasmine flower extract had a significantly different effect on the taste of tempeh (p <0.05), where the higher the concentration of jasmine flower extract added to the tempeh sausage, the panelists' preference for the taste of the tempeh sausage would decrease. This is because the two basic ingredients of sausage, namely tempeh and jasmine flowers, already have a specific basic taste. The selection of preservatives made from natural ingredients can be a choice in developing food products, to minimize the use of synthetic preservatives in food products that are carcinogenic.
 Keywords: Sausage, tempeh, preservatives

Дослідження впливу харчових добавок на органоліптичні властивості спортивного харчування

The article investigates the influence of food additives, namely: sugar substitutes, flavors and flavor enhancer, on the organoleptic properties of sports nutrition. In Ukraine, sports nutrition refers to biologically active additives. Compared to conventional foods, sports supplements require minimal digestive time and effort to be broken down and absorbed, and many sports supplements are energy-dense. Since refined protein has a specific taste and unsightly appearance, along with protein, food additives are introduced into the composition of sports nutrition, which can significantly improve the organoleptic properties of the finished product. Therefore, the study of the influence of food additives on the organoleptic properties of sports nutrition is relevant. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of food additives - sweeteners, flavorings and flavor enhancers on the organoleptic properties of sports nutrition. In this work, whey protein isolate was used as the basis of the product, in which 85% protein and 15% related substances - fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates (lactose). To improve the organoleptic properties, sweeteners, flavorings and a flavor enhancer were added to the product. Sorbitol, stevia, fructose were studied as sugar substitutes, and chocolate, banana, raspberry and strawberry flavors were used as flavoring agents. The addition of ethyl maltol has been investigated as a flavor enhancer. The appearance, taste, smell and color of the investigated products were assessed organoleptically. The best results of organoleptic evaluation were obtained by the composition using fructose with a concentration of 20 g / l. In the study of flavorings, the highest rating was given to the composition using the strawberry flavor at a concentration of 1.6 g / L.

Viewing images of foods evokes taste quality-specific activity in gustatory insular cortex

Previous studies have shown that the conceptual representation of food involves brain regions associated with taste perception. The specificity of this response, however, is unknown. Does viewing pictures of food produce a general, nonspecific response in taste-sensitive regions of the brain? Or is the response specific for how a particular food tastes? Building on recent findings that specific tastes can be decoded from taste-sensitive regions of insular cortex, we asked whether viewing pictures of foods associated with a specific taste (e.g., sweet, salty, and sour) can also be decoded from these same regions, and if so, are the patterns of neural activity elicited by the pictures and their associated tastes similar? Using ultrahigh-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging at high magnetic field strength (7-Tesla), we were able to decode specific tastes delivered during scanning, as well as the specific taste category associated with food pictures within the dorsal mid-insula, a primary taste responsive region of brain. Thus, merely viewing food pictures triggers an automatic retrieval of specific taste quality information associated with the depicted foods, within gustatory cortex. However, the patterns of activity elicited by pictures and their associated tastes were unrelated, thus suggesting a clear neural distinction between inferred and directly experienced sensory events. These data show how higher-order inferences derived from stimuli in one modality (i.e., vision) can be represented in brain regions typically thought to represent only low-level information about a different modality (i.e., taste).

Helminthic parasites in indigenous chickens in Penang Island, Malaysia.

Indigenous chicken (Gallus domesticus) is reared for both its meat and eggs. Most consumers prefer the meat probably due to its specific texture and taste. The study was conducted to determine the presence of helminth parasites of 240 indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) obtained randomly from 12 divisions in Penang Island, Malaysia. Necropsy findings revealed 14 endoparasite species which parasitized these chickens namely, Acuaria hamulosa, Acuaria spiralis, Amoebotaenia sphenoides, Ascaridia galli, Brachylaima sp., Capillaria spp., Gongylonema ingluvicola, Heterakis gallinarum, Hymenolepis sp., Oxyspirura mansoni, Raillietina echinobothrida, Raillietina tetragona, Syngamus trachea and Tetrameres americana. The high abundance of helminth species observed in this study may be attributed to the free-range scavenging production system, where these indigenous chickens were exposed to intermediate or paratenic hosts of helminths which infect poultry. Besides, sustainable methods of helminthic control measure are necessary in order to enhance indigenous chicken production and eventually improve the economy of the rural farmers.

The quality of Slovenian chestnut honey and its specific properties relevant for medical application and functional nutrition

Chestnut honey is well-described in terms of sensory properties, pollen and chemical composition. Specific bitter taste is accompanied with other typical sensory properties derived from its chemical composition, especially in the nectar of sweet chestnut. Compounds from other sources of nectar and honeydew, especially linden, fir and spruce, with smaller amounts from meadow plants, create the specific sensory and chemical properties of Slovene chestnut honey. Based on the chemical composition of the honey, especially the content and proportions of different inorganic ions, it is possible to track the geographical origin of the pasture. Bees contribute significantly to recognized antimicrobial properties of honey by secretion of enzymes and antimicrobial peptides via the food processing glands. When the honey is used for medical purposes, we have to take precautions to avoid microbial and chemical contamination. For the planning of specific use of honey as a medical application we need to explore in detail specific pharmacological properties of single compounds from the chestnut honey and its contribution to the whole activity during wound treatment. In this paper we present a review of most distinct properties of chestnut honey important for its medical application.

Chemical composition and biological activities of peels and flesh from ten pear cultivars (Pyrus ussuriensis)

This study aimed to determine the chemical composition (sugars, organic acids, and phenolics) and biological activities (in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities) of peel and flesh tissues from 10 Pyrus ussuriensis cultivars. Four sugars and eight organic acids were identified by HPLC. The phenolic profile determined by UPLC-MS resulted in the quantification of six groups of phenolic compounds. The total phenolic contents ranged from 453.53 to 1502.04 mg/kg FW in the peels and from 51.80 to 153.98 mg/kg FW in the flesh. Antioxidant activity, determined by DPPH and FRAP, reached 35.11 and 41.63 µmol TE/g FW, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity of the fruit extract was significant and comparable with the standard anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac sodium. Further antibacterial assays showed that the fruit extracts displayed intriguing biological activity. Among all cultivars, ‘Pingdingxiang’ and ‘Jinxiangshui’ presented the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds and the most significant antioxidant properties, whereas the flesh of ‘Honghuagai’ showed optimal anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities in the flesh. The results shown here may be of interest for a breeding program aimed at enhancing nutritional value and, therefore, meeting the expectations of consumers for fruit with many health benefits and a specific taste.

'Nuevo epiciclo al gran rubí del día'. El duque de Lerma, la danza cortesana y la imagen del poder

Este artículo propone explorar la compleja interrelación entre Felipe III y el duque de Lerma, su valido, a través de un prisma poco utilizado por la historiografía: la danza cortesana. En la muy ambiciosa política festiva del valido, la danza ocupa un papel especial que responde al gusto específico del monarca por este arte y que no tendrá equivalentes en la posteridad bajo los Austrias. En este contexto, la danza cortesana es uno de los soportes de la representación alegórica de la monarquía que opera en las fiestas reales. Partiendo de estas premisas, el artículo se pregunta cómo la danza afecta a este sistema de representación cuando está en manos del valido, es decir, no solo un partícipe cualquiera de las danzas, sino aquel que baila al lado del rey y, sobre todo, aquel que termina teniendo suficiente poder como para costear saraos o máscaras capaces de emular la magnificencia real.

Bitter taste receptor activation by hop-derived bitter components induces gastrointestinal hormone production in enteroendocrine cells

Matured hop bitter acids (MHBA) are bitter acid oxides derived from hops, widely consumed as food ingredients to add bitterness and flavor in beers. Previous studies have suggested a potential gut-brain mechanism in which MHBA simulates enteroendocrine cells to produce cholecystokinin (CCK), a gastrointestinal hormone which activates autonomic nerves, resulting in body fat reduction and cognitive improvement; however, the MHBA recognition site on enteroendocrine cells has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we report that MHBA is recognized by specific human and mouse bitter taste receptors (human TAS2R1, 8, 10 and mouse Tas2r119, 130, 105) using a heterologous receptor expression system in human embryonic kidney 293T cells. In addition, knockdown of each of these receptors using siRNA transfection partially but significantly suppressed an MHBA-induced calcium response and CCK production in enteroendocrine cells. Furthermore, blocking one of the essential taste signaling components, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 5, remarkably inhibited the MHBA-induced calcium response and CCK production in enteroendocrine cells. Our results demonstrate that specific bitter taste receptor activation by MHBA drives downstream calcium response and CCK production in enteroendocrine cells. These findings reveal a mechanism by which food ingredients derived from hops in beer activate the gut-brain axis for the first time.

Improvement of technology of melt butter with turmeric

The aim of the work was to improve the technology of melt butter with turmeric and to study the quality indicators of the finished product. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Milk and Dairy Products Technology of Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies Lviv. The study was conducted in two stages. At the first stage, a natural source of antioxidants for melt butter was selected, the optimal amount for application was selected and the technology of melt butter with turmeric was improved. In the second stage of research, the quality indicators of the finished product were determined. Ways to improve the stability of melt butter during storage are analyzed and the possibility of using vegetable raw materials, namely turmeric powder in melt butter technology, is substantiated. Turmeric contains vitamins K, B, B1, B2, C, D and minerals, including calcium, iron, phosphorus and iodine, as well as essential oils and their components – sabinene, borneol, cigiberren, terpene alcohols, phelander, curcumin and others. components that, even in microscopic quantities, have a good effect on the human body. Modes of technological operations are described. Turmeric powder is added to the fat fraction obtained as a result of separation, which is sent to intermediate baths and incubated for 1–2 hours. at a temperature of 90–95 °C, stirring every 5–7 minutes. This creates a specific taste and aroma of melt butter and reduces the emulsification ability of the system, which improves the efficiency of subsequent separation. The optimal dose of turmeric powder is 0.5 % by weight of the fat fraction. Selected to obtain a homogeneous consistency of the finished product, the cooling temperature is not higher than 14–18 °C. Organoleptic and physicochemical parameters of the finished product are described. Organoleptic characteristics of melt butter during storage (two months) did not change significantly. The acidity of the fatty phase during storage increased and amounted to 1.82–1.93 °K at a maximum allowable value of 2.4 °K, due to the influence of antioxidant properties of turmeric.

Possibilities for Developing Beer Routes in Slovakia

The last 30 years of brewing history in Slovakia were the most turbulent ones. They were influenced by the liquidation of some beer production as well as privatization, integration and acquisitions of global beer producers. As a reaction to the uniform taste of beer produced by the global producers, numerous small craft breweries emerged in Slovakia trying to return the specific beer taste to the regions. Their importance may also be involved in the development of popular beer tourism through beer routes in addition to the fragmentation of the Slovak brewing industry. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of Slovakia for the development of beer routes. The examination and assessment of the possibilities of creating beer routes in Slovakia required considering the historical context first, and then establishing a database comprising the list of craft breweries in Slovakia and the list of places where beer festivals are organised. Correspondence with the President of the Association of Small Independent Slovak Breweries was used for this purpose. Such a database was then verified, supplemented and compared to the database developed by our team based on information from field research, telephone interviews with thirty representatives of breweries, and an analysis of websites of Slovak breweries. The database was further transformed into space, using a map of isolines (equidistant) expressing the mutual distance of the craft breweries. In compiling the results, dynamic-comparative methods and cartographic presentation methods were also used. All together, we identified 70 craft breweries and proposed three beer routes thanks to their spatial distribution.

Bioactive peptides fractions from traditional Iranian Koopeh cheese; lactic fermentation products

Koopeh is a traditional Iranian cheese produced from raw milk of sheep or cow, famous for its specific taste and ripening process. In this study, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of water-soluble extracts (WSEs) from different Koopeh cheese samples (C1–C8) were evaluated. The WSEs had considerable antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella enterica. Free radical scavenging of ABTS and DPPH ranges were 56.5–89.9% and 48.7–77.8%, respectively, while iron chelating activities of up to 88.8% were demonstrated. Samples with maximum antioxidant activity (C3 and C5) were selected for further analysis. Different ultrafiltrated fractions (<2, 2–10, and >10 kDa) of C3 and C5 samples were tested, and the 2–10 kDa fraction of C3 showed the highest antioxidant activity. Based on MALDI-TOF/MS analysis, peptides with molecular weights of 3896.91, 3937.42, 3926.57, 3702.51 and 3692.87 Da were dominant in 2–10 kDa fraction. Our results indicated that Koopeh cheese is a potential functional food, and that its peptide fractions can be employed in nutraceutical formulations.

Associations between Psycho-Hedonic Responses to Sweet and Savoury Tastes with Diet and Body Composition in a Sample of Asian Females

Taste preferences guide food choices and dietary behaviours, yet few studies have shown a relationship between sweet and savoury taste preference and differences in dietary intakes or energy consumed from different “taste clusters”. We investigated differences in psycho-hedonic responses to sweet and savoury tastes and their association with energy intake, proportion of energy from macronutrients and energy intake from different “taste clusters”. In addition, we evaluated correspondence between two methods to classify “sweet-liker” status and the overlap between sweet and savoury taste preferences. Psycho-hedonic responses to sweet and savoury tastes of female participants (n = 66) were captured via staircase paired preference and the “sweet-liker phenotype” classification method. Quantitative dietary energy and macronutrient intakes were measured using three-day food diary, and the relative contributions of specific taste clusters to energy intake were derived for each participant. All participants completed anthropometric assessments measuring body mass index (BMI) and adiposity. Results showed no association between sweet and savoury preferences with dietary energy or macronutrient intakes, though there was a trend towards higher sweet food consumption among “sweet-likers”. A higher preference for savouriness was not associated with differences in daily energy intake, energy intake from protein, BMI or adiposity levels. There was little overlap in sweet and savoury preferences, suggesting a bi-modal split in taste preferences. “Sweet-likers” preferred a higher mean sucrose concentration than sweet “dislikers” (p < 0.001) indicating agreement between the two approaches. Future studies should consider comparing taste-liker differences using food choice tasks to address the current gap between taste preference measures and actual dietary behaviours.

Taste transduction and channel synapses in taste buds.

The variety of taste sensations, including sweet, umami, bitter, sour, and salty, arises from diverse taste cells, each of which expresses specific taste sensor molecules and associated components for downstream signal transduction cascades. Recent years have witnessed major advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying transduction of basic tastes in taste buds, including the identification of the bona fide sour sensor H+ channel OTOP1, and elucidation of transduction of the amiloride-sensitive component of salty taste (the taste of sodium) and the TAS1R-independent component of sweet taste (the taste of sugar). Studies have also discovered an unconventional chemical synapse termed "channel synapse" which employs an action potential-activated CALHM1/3 ion channel instead of exocytosis of synaptic vesicles as the conduit for neurotransmitter release that links taste cells to afferent neurons. New images of the channel synapse and determinations of the structures of CALHM channels have provided structural and functional insights into this unique synapse. In this review, we discuss the current view of taste transduction and neurotransmission with emphasis on recent advances in the field.

Genetic variants of TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor associate with distinct gut microbiota traits in Parkinson's disease: A pilot study

The non-tasting form of the bitter taste receptor, TAS2R38, has been shown as a genetic risk factor associated with the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Specific taste receptors that are expressed in the lower gastrointestinal tract may respond to alteration in gut microbiota composition, detecting bacterial molecules, and regulate immune responses. Given the importance of brain-gut-microbiota axis and gene-environment interactions in PD, we investigate the associations between the genetic variants of TAS2R38 and gut microbiota composition in 39 PD patients. The results confirm that the majority of PD patients have reduced sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and are carriers of at least one non-functional TAS2R38 AVI haplotype. Moreover, we found this correlation to be associated with a reduction in bacteria alpha-diversity with a predominant reduction of Clostridium genus. We hypothesised that the high frequency of the non-taster form of TAS2R38 associated with a diminuition of Clostridium bacteria in PD might determine a reduction in the activation of protective signalling-molecules useful in preserving gut homeostasis. This pilot study, by identifying a decrease in specific bacteria associated with a reduced sensitivity to PROP, adds essential information that opens new avenues of research into the association of PD microbiota composition and sensory modification.

Geleneksel Nevzine Tatlısı Üretimi

Uzun yılların deneyimiyle ortaya çıkan özel ürünler olan geleneksel gıdalar, bir bölgenin kültürünü, kimliğini, karakteristiğini ve mirasını yansıtmakla birlikte kırsal bölgelerden göçü önleyerek o bölgelerin gelişimi ve devamlılığına da yardımcı olmaktadır. Toplumların kültürel zenginliğini ortaya koyması açısından sosyal yaşamda geleneksel gıdaların yeri oldukça önemlidir. Geleneksel gıdalar yaşanılan bölgedeki insanların beslenmesinde önemli yer tutmakta ve o bölgeye özgü damak tadını oluşturmaktadır. Kültürel zenginliklerden biri de geleneksel tatlılar olup, Anadolu‘nun çeşitli bölgelerinde üretilip tüketilmektedir. Geçmişten günümüze yüzyıllardır üretilen tatlılar kültürümüzde hep önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur. Geleneksel tatlılar, içine ilave edilen malzeme ve üretim teknolojisi bakımından gerek sütlü gerekse şerbetli tatlı olarak oldukça zengin bir çeşitliliğe sahiptir. Yüzyıllardır üretilmekte olan Nevzine Tatlısı Kayseri iline özgü tahin, pekmez ve ceviz kullanılarak hazırlanan geleneksel bir şerbetli tatlı çeşididir. Şerbetinde şeker ve üzüm pekmezinin birlikte kullanılması, bu tatlıyı diğer şuruplu tatlılardan ayıran bir özelliktir. Nevzine Tatlısı, dini bayramlarda mutlaka ikram edilir ve verdiği enerji oldukça yüksektir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, yörede yaşayanlarla yapılan görüşmelere ve araştırmalara dayanılarak, Kayseri‘nin geleneksel Nevzine Tatlısı, bileşenleri, hazırlanışı ve pişirilmesi ile ilgili bilgi vermektir.

Trachyspermum ammi aromatic water: A traditional drink with considerable anti-Candida activity.

Background and Purpose: Aromatic waters (AWs) are therapeutic distillates, which harbor both essential oil and water-soluble components of a plant. Due to the dispersion of the light amount of essence through the AWs, they have their specific pleasant smell, taste, and medicinal properties. In Iranian traditional medicine, Trachyspermum ammi AW is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. The present study was conducted to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from T. ammi AW and its antifungal activities against Candida species.Materials and Methods: The composition of the essential oil extracted from T. ammi AW was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, the evaluation of the antifungal activity of AW against Candida species was performed using broth microdilution methods as recommended by the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute. Moreover, the biofilm formation inhibition, antioxidant properties, and experimental activity of AW were determined in an animal model.Results: According to the results, thymol (78.08%) was the major compound of EO, followed by carvacrol (8.20%) and carvotanacetone (6.50%). Furthermore, T. ammi AW exhibited antifungal activities against the examined fungi and inhibited the biofilm formation of C. albicans at a concentration of up to 0.25 V/V. Histopathological analyses revealed that Candida colonization declined in the mice following the administration ofT. ammi AW in a therapeutic trial.Conclusion: It seems that the presence of phenolic monoterpenes in AW has resulted in antifungal effects. Pleasant odor and antioxidant properties are extra bonuses to the antimicrobial effects of this plant. Based on the findings, AW might have the potential to be used in the management of alimentary candidiasis or oral hygienic products.