Taste Identification Research Articles

Genetic aspects of taste formation

The article discusses the molecular genetic basis of taste development which determines the peculiarity of perception of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and high-protein food (umami). The genes TAS1R3, FTO, GLUT2, FGF21, GNAT3 are responsible for individual perception of sugar volume. Serum FGF21 levels are significantly elevated in obese patients and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus which presumably indicates a state of resistance to FGF21. Given the role of refined sugars in the development of diseases, the use of foods with a reduced content or complete absence of added sugar is a worldwide trend, especially necessary in the nutrition of children. During genome-wide sequencing for 39 patients aged 15-18 years, FGF21 gene polymorphism was detected in 27 adolescents (69 %) without gender identity. Almost all patients with FGF21 gene polymorphism showed a high addiction to sweet foods. Currently, the existence of a sixth taste is being debated, it is ammonium chloride, whose receptors are regulated by the Otop1 gene which is also responsible for the identification of sour taste.

Comparative Analysis of Taste Perception Among Airline Pilots, Construction Workers, and Office Employees.

Objective Occupational exposures may influence gustatory sensations through mechanisms such as fatigue, acute or chronic stress, circadian rhythm disruptions, and exposure to various chemicals. In this cross-sectional study, we sought to compare taste perception across three professional groups, namely airline pilots, construction workers, and office employees, by assessing taste identification times for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors, alongside salivary pH levels. Methods The study cohort consisted of 90 healthy male participants, with 30 individuals in each occupational group, matched for age and professional experience. Salivary pH was measured using pH meter paper, whereas taste identification times were assessed using aqueous solutions applied to dissolvable strips for each taste. Results There were no significant differences in salivary pH among the study groups. However, airline pilots exhibited a significantly longer identification time for sweet taste (9.8 ± 3.9 seconds) compared to construction workers (7.0 ± 3.1 seconds, P < 0.05) and office employees (7.1 ± 3.3 seconds, P < 0.05). Conversely, construction workers demonstrated a significantly prolonged identification time for sour taste (6.1 ± 2.9 seconds) compared to pilots (4.2 ± 2.6 seconds, P < 0.05) and office employees (4.6 ± 2.5 seconds, P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the identification times for salty and bitter tastes across the groups. Conclusion We found significant differences in taste perception among airline pilots, construction workers, and office employees, particularly concerning sweet and sour tastes. These findings suggest that occupational factors may influence gustatory function in a complex manner. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential implications for dietary habits and health within specific occupational groups.

Association of Olfactory and Gustatory Function with Memory among Community-Dwelling Independent Older Adults.

This study examined the association between memory function and reduced olfactory and gustatory function among independent community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study included 127 older adults (65.4% women). We assessed their memory, odor, and taste identification skills. Open essence (OE) test and taste strips (TS) were used to identify hyposmia (OE test ≤6) and hypogeusia (TS test ≤8), respectively. Participants with severe hyposmia had significantly poorer memory functions compared to participants without severe hyposmia. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate logistic regression models revealed a significant association between immediate recognition performance and a decreased likelihood of severe hyposmia (odds ratio=0.65; 95% confidence interval 0.47-0.90). We observed no significant association between taste function and memory. Memory function may be associated with olfactory impairment in older adults.

Home screening of taste and oral trigeminal function: a feasibility study

Purposegustatory ability is a marker of health not routinely tested in the medical practice. The current study wants to assess whether taste strips can be useful to monitor taste function from home.Methodswe performed simple sensory tests in lab setting vs. unassisted testing at home, and compared the results with self-reports ability to taste and smell. Using paper strips impregnated with sweet, bitter, salty, or sour tastants, and with two trigeminal stimuli (capsaicin, tannins) in high and low concentrations, we assessed gustatory and trigeminal function in 74 participants (47 women) in the lab, where paper strips were administered by an experimenter, and in 77 participants (59 women) at home, where they self-administered the test.Resultswe found that high (but not low) concentration taste strips are correctly identified by vast majority of participants. On average, taste identification, intensity and pleasantness scores did not differ for the 8 taste strips, while identification of capsaicin was significantly better in the lab. Taste identification scores correlated with intensity ratings in both settings (r = 0.56, in the lab, r = 0.48, at home, p < 0.005). Self-rated taste ability correlated with self-rated smell ability (r = 0.68, and r = 0.39, p ≤ 0.005), but not with scores in the strips test.Conclusionhome testing with impregnated taste strips is feasible, and can be used for telemedical purposes.

Comparison of energy intake in critical illness survivors, general medical patients, and healthy volunteers: A descriptive cohort study.

Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors have reduced oral intake; it is unknown whether intake and associated barriers are unique to this group. To quantify energy intake and potential barriers in ICU survivors compared with general medical (GM) patients and healthy volunteers. A descriptive cohort study in ICU survivors, GM patients, and healthy volunteers. Following an overnight fast, participants consumed a 200 ml test-meal (213 kcal) and 180 min later an ad libitum meal to measure energy intake (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes; taste recognition, nutrition-impacting symptoms, malnutrition, and quality of life (QoL). Data are mean ± SD, median (interquartile range [IQR]) or number [percentage]). Twelve ICU survivors (57 ± 17 years, BMI: 30 ± 6), eight GM patients (69 ± 19 years, BMI: 30 ± 6), and 25 healthy volunteers (58 ± 27 years, BMI: 25 ± 4) were included. Recruitment ceased early because of slow recruitment and SARS-CoV-2. Energy intake was lower in both patient groups than in health (ICU: 289 [288, 809], GM: 426 [336, 592], health: 815 [654, 1165] kcal). Loss of appetite was most common (ICU: 78%, GM: 67%). For ICU survivors, GM patients and healthy volunteers, respectively, severe malnutrition prevalence; 40%, 14%, and 0%; taste identification; 8.5 [7.0, 11.0], 8.5 [7.0, 9.5], and 8.0 [6.0, 11.0]; and QoL; 60 [40-65], 50 [31-55], and 90 [81-95] out of 100. Energy intake at a buffet meal is lower in hospital patients than in healthy volunteers but similar between ICU survivors and GM patients. Appetite loss potentially contributes to reduced energy intake.

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.

Intensity and Appreciation of Sweet Taste Solutions Are Modulated by High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise in Adolescent Athletic Males.

Exercise seems to influence taste, but the effect of exercise on specific tastes is still to be elucidated among youths. Athlete boys aged 14-16years were recruited. Participants (n = 19) ages ranged 14.7 (0.7)years, weight 59.6 (7.8)kg, and height of 173.4 (7.9)cm. Distinct taste tests were administered using low and high concentrations of sweet, salty, and bitter solutions before and after a 30-minute aerobic exercise session (70%-90% of estimated maximal heart rate). McNemmar tests, standard paired t tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and Cohen d effect size tests were used to analyze taste identification, intensity, and appreciation. There were no significant differences in taste identification capacities after exercise. Participants perceived more intense (P = .037) and appreciated better (P = .004) the low-concentration sweet solution after exercise. Taste appreciation was increased for the high-concentration sweet solution (P = .009) after exercise. Effect sizes were moderate (0.516-0.776). Possible effects were noted for the intensity of salty solutions (P = .0501 and .0543). Following an exercise session, participants had increased perceived intensity and appreciation of sweet solutions. This adds new insights into how exercise influences taste in youths, a topic less documented compared with adults, suggesting further research into its impact on dietary choices is needed.

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.

Taste-Based Gender Favouritism in High-Stake Decisions: Evidence from The Price is Right

Abstract Gender discrimination is present across various fields, but identifying the underlying mechanism is challenging. We demonstrate own-gender favouritism in a field setting that allows for clean identification of tastes versus beliefs: the One Bid game on the TV show The Price Is Right. Players must guess an item’s value without exceeding it, leaving the last bidder with a dominant ‘cutoff’ strategy of overbidding another player by ${\$}$1. We show that last bidders are significantly more likely to cut off opposite-gender opponents. This behaviour is explained by own-gender favouritism rather than beliefs that cutting off opposite-gender opponents is more profitable.

Gustation-Inspired Dual-Responsive Hydrogels for Taste Sensing Enabled by Machine Learning.

Human gustatory system recognizes salty/sour or sweet tastants based on their different ionic or nonionic natures using two different signaling pathways. This suggests that evolution has selected this detection dualism favorably. Analogically, this work constructs herein bioinspired stimulus-responsive hydrogels to recognize model salty/sour or sweet tastes based on two different responses, that is, electrical and volumetric responsivities. Different compositions of zwitter-ionic sulfobetainic N-(3-sulfopropyl)-N-(methacryloxyethyl)-N,N-dimethylammonium betaine (DMAPS) and nonionic 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) are co-polymerized to explore conditions for gelation. The hydrogel responses upon adding model tastant molecules are explored using electrical and visual de-swelling observations. Beyond challenging electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, naive multimeter electrical characterizations are performed, toward facile applicability. Ionic model molecules, for example, sodium chloride and acetic acid, interact electrostatically with DMAPS groups, whereas nonionic molecules, for example,D(-)fructose, interact by hydrogen bonding with HEMA. The model tastants induce complex combinations of electrical and volumetric responses, which are then introduced as inputs for machine learning algorithms. The fidelity of such a trained dual response approach is tested for a more general taste identification. This work envisages that the facile dual electric/volumetric hydrogel responses combined with machine learning proposes a generic bioinspired avenue for future bionic designs of artificial taste recognition, amply needed in applications.

Sweet Taste: From Perception to Evaluation

Abstract—Sweetness is the strongest gustatory modality, which shapes eating behavior and influences homeostasis. The review summarizes data on the perception and encoding of taste signals at the level of taste receptors and brain centers during consumption of sweet substances. We focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of sweet taste identification and determination of food caloric content, including the role of membrane receptor proteins T1R2/T1R3 and signal transduction enzyme cascades, as well as a metabolic mechanism for estimating the concentration of glucose in the cytoplasm. Genetic aspects of sweet sensitivity and the influence of sweet taste receptor gene polymorphisms on sensitivity to sugar and low-calorie sweeteners are described. The review presents results of modern studies of endocrine, paracrine and autocrine modulation of sweet taste perception and evaluation depending on the metabolic state of the body. The assumption of a promising research area on the problem is made.

Acute Taste Dysfunction in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients after Transoral Robotic Surgery.

To compare taste changes after transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to taste changes in healthy controls. Oropharyngeal cancer patients receiving TORS and healthy controls were recruited. Participants underwent posterolateral and whole-mouth psychophysical taste testing (identification, intensity, and hedonics) at baseline and at 2 weeks postoperatively (patients) or follow-up (controls). Surgeons reported suspension time and glossopharyngeal nerve injury (GNI) based on the identification and sacrifice of the nerve. A Clinical Global Impression (CGI) of taste symptoms was completed at each session ("My sense of taste bothers me" on a 5-point scale from Never [1] to Always [5]). A taste disorder (TD) was a CGI of 3 (Sometimes) or worse. Within-subject changes in CGI and psychophysical scores were computed. "Worsened taste" was a CGI increase by ≥1 point at follow-up. Of 69 participants, most (33/37 tumor, 31/32 controls) had normal baseline taste (CGI < 3). 14/33 (42%) TORS patients and no controls developed new TDs at follow-up. More smokers (7/9) had worsened taste than nonsmokers (19/60, difference = 46% [95% CI 16%-76%]). More patients without GNI (6/22) than with GNI (0/15) had postoperative phantogeusia (difference = 27% [95% CI 9-45%]). Tumor-ipsilateral taste identification (TI) decreased more in patients (-11.3%) than controls (0.8%, difference = 12.2% [95% CI 5.0-19.3%]). Suspension time was not associated with worsened taste symptoms or psychophysical changes. Patient-reported taste changes after TORS are frequent. Compared to healthy controls, TORS patients have decreased tumor-ipsilateral TI. Suspension time and GNI are unlikely to cause symptomatic TDs. Further investigations of the etiology and long-term symptom burden of TORS-associated TDs will aid in the management of oropharyngeal cancer patients. 3 (non-randomized controlled cohort study) Laryngoscope, 133:3520-3528, 2023.

Associations of sensory impairments with cognition vary by race in older US adults

AbstractBackgroundSensory impairments are associated with increased dementia risk in older adults, but whether such associations vary by race is unknown.MethodWe studied 2,058 participants from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) aged 57 to 85 without cognitive impairment at the time of recruitment. 8% identified as Hispanic, 13% as non‐Hispanic Black, and 76% as non‐Hispanic White. Sensory function in the 5 senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch) was measured by visual acuity, interviewer‐rated hearing, a five‐item smell identification test, a four‐item taste identification test, and touch by single point and 2‐point discrimination. Previously published cut‐points defined poor, fair, and good levels of function. Cognition was measured with a modified version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in the same subjects 10 years later. Linear regression models with interaction terms evaluated whether the association between sensory impairments and cognition differed by race/Ethnicity, adjusting for age, sex, and education.Result64.7% of individuals had poor sensory function (≥1 impairment). Hispanic (n = 228) and non‐Hispanic Black (n = 237) older adults were more likely to have ≥1 sensory impairments and to have lower cognition scores compared to non‐Hispanic Whites (n = 1,593). In adjusted models including all participants, fair interviewer‐rated hearing (‐0.68 points, CI:‐1.09,‐0.27), fair smell (‐0.77 points, CI:‐1.14,‐0.41), fair taste (‐0.37 points, CI:‐0.73, ‐0.01), and having multiple sensory impairments (‐0.73 points, CI:‐1.27, ‐0.19) were associated with lower cognition compared to good sensory function/ no impairments. For smell, taste, and touch there were differences by race. The estimated effect of fair smell on subsequent lower cognition was stronger in non‐Hispanic Blacks compared to Whites (‐0.99 points, CI: ‐1.90,‐0.09, p for interaction = 0.03). The estimated effect of poor taste on worse cognition was stronger in non‐Hispanic Whites compared to Hispanics (‐1.42 points, CI: ‐2.62,‐0.22, p for interaction = 0.02). There was a significant association between poor touch and lower cognition in Hispanics but not for other racial groups (‐2.03 points, CI: ‐3.81, ‐0.25, p = 0.03).ConclusionWe found important racial differences in how sensory dysfunction predicts future cognition. Sensory impairments are often modifiable; further insight on these differences may help stimulate efforts to reduce disparities in dementia burden.

Ionic Polymer Metal Composite Based Smart Tongue Using Machine Learning

Ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC)-based new type of taste sensing technology is focused on this study. The developed sensor can sense five taste senses (salty, sweetness, spicy, bitterness, and sourness) artificially. Development of electronic tongue using Nafion-based IPMC strip (Pt-electroded) is the background philosophy for the current finding. Due to the hydrophilic nature of the perfluorinated polymer membrane, IPMC strips while immersed into test solutions, cations like Li <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> , Na <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> , K <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> , H <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> O <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> , etc., diffused into the polymer layer penetrating through the Pt-electrode surface of the IPMC and rearranged inside the polymer matrix. Bending of IPMC strip produces a small potential difference in millivolt (mV), which is developed across two Pt-electroded sides of IPMC. The output voltage across two electrode sides of IPMC for different taste samples of different concentration shows distinct voltage pattern and is measured in terms of potential difference across the Pt-electrode of IPMC. K-nearest neighbor classification approach of machine learning is useful for the identification of unknown taste agents. The average performance index of the developed machine learning model for the prediction of basic taste is 93.45%. Due to the nontoxic nature of IPMC, taste identification of different food contents would be feasible using this sensing technology.

Deficit Symptomatology of Schizophrenia Is Associated with Attenuated Taste Identification: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study.

Schizophrenia is the subject of many studies. There have been reports of taste disturbances in mental disorders. We found a possible relationship between deficit symptoms of schizophrenia and the dysgeusia of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Dysgeusia is a disorder that distorts the sense of taste. People describe all foods as tasting sweet, sour, bitter, or metallic. We aimed to verify whether the level of MSG taste perception may be related to the severity of deficit symptoms. MSG detection threshold was assessed via sublingual administration of three fluid samples containing MSG or water. The MSG samples had different concentrations in each sample. The task was to indicate which of the samples contained MSG, determine the intensity of the taste, and assess the taste as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. The study group included 200 patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia according to ICD-10. We found a significant negative correlation between mean intensity of taste and the number of deficit symptoms. The symptoms of taste disturbances reported by the patient should be monitored by clinicians and differentiated between the actual deficits in the field of taste perception and the taste hallucinations as a symptom of psychosis. It is important to continue research in this area.

A non-randomized comparative study of olfactory and gustatory functions in children who recovered from COVID-19 (1-year follow-up).

The experimental group included 68 children over 6 years of age who had recovered from COVID-19. The control group included 22 children over 6 years of age who have never had COVID-19. Research methods included neurological examination, verification of cognitive status, examination by an otolaryngologist, and smell and taste assessment. The examination was performed 6–8 weeks after COVID-19 recovery and after 1 year in some patients. Children who recovered from COVID-19 had a reduction in their ability to smell compared to children who had never had COVID-19. The olfactory thresholds and taste identification scores after recovery from COVID-19 were identical, whether the parents had reported anosmia in their children during COVID-19 or not, and irrespective of hyperthermia level and the presence or absence of headache and hyperhidrosis during COVID-19. Analysis of correlation with neuropsychiatric symptoms showed no differences in the olfactory thresholds in children irrespective of the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (tics, tremors, enuresis, compulsive movements, seizures, speech disorders, attention deficit, and easy fatigability) both in general, and in particular among subjects performing or not any compulsive movements, and experiencing or not a combination of easy fatigability and daytime sleepiness. Evidence suggests that in children and adolescents, partial hyposmia is associated with depressive symptoms, varying in severity from low to high, but symptoms of depression were not caused by COVID-19 infection itself. Analysis in subgroups with different degrees of state and trait anxiety did not reveal any significant differences in the olfactory threshold. A re-examination of 21 children was performed after 1 year. An objective olfactometric examination showed that the sensitivity to odorants increased significantly. In 1 year, we compared the thresholds of smell in children who had COVID-19 and those who did not have this disease: olfactory sensitivity after COVID-19 in children is restored to normal values. Schulte correction test showed that none of 14 children with asthenic manifestations in the form of fluctuations or exhaustion when performing the test immediately after COVID-19 had these manifestations after 1 year. Thus, asthenization of cognitive activity was recorded within the next 1.5 months after suffering from COVID-19 but was absent after 1 year.

Sleeve Gastrectomy-Induced Body Mass Index Reduction Increases the Intensity of Taste Perception's and Reduces Bitter-Induced Pleasantness in Severe Obesity.

Background: The sense of taste is involved in food behavior and may drive food choices, likely contributing to obesity. Differences in taste preferences have been reported in normal-weight as compared to obese subjects. Changes in taste perception with an increased sweet-induced sensitivity have been reported in surgically treated obese patients, but data regarding the perception of basic tastes yielded conflicting results. We aimed to evaluate basic taste identification, induced perception, and pleasantness in normal-weight controls and obese subjects before and after bariatric surgery. Methods: Severe obese and matched normal weight subjects underwent a standardized spit test to evaluate sweet, bitter, salty, umami, and sour taste identification, induced perception, and pleasantness. A subset of obese subjects were also studied before and 12 months after sleeve gastrectomy. Results: No significant differences in basic taste-induced perceptions were observed, although a higher number of controls correctly identified umami than did obese subjects. Sleeve-gastrectomy-induced weight loss did not affect the overall ability to correctly identify basic tastes but was associated with a significant increase in taste intensities, with higher scores for sour and bitter, and a significantly reduced bitter-induced pleasantness. Conclusions: The perception of basic tastes is similar in normal-weight and severely obese subjects. Sleeve-gastrectomy-induced weight loss significantly increases basic taste-induced intensity, and selectively reduces bitter-related pleasantness without affecting the ability to identify the tastes. Our findings reveal that taste perception is influenced by body mass index changes, likely supporting the hypothesis that centrally mediated mechanisms modulate taste perception in severe obesity.

Chemotaxonomic Identification of Key Taste and Nutritional Components in ‘Shushanggan Apricot’ Fruits by Widely Targeted Metabolomics

The chemotypic and the content variation in taste substances and nutrients in ‘Shushanggan apricot’ fruits were detected by UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 592 compounds were identified, of which sucrose contributed mainly to the sweet taste and malic acid and citric acid were important organic acids affecting sweet–sour taste. γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid were the dominant free fatty acids, and neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid were the predominant phenolic acids. Fruit taste was positively correlated with sucrose and negatively correlated with malic acid and citric acid. The differential metabolites were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of amino acids and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathways, regulating the sugar and organic acid biosynthesis. Taste and nutrient differences could be revealed by variations in composition and abundance of carbohydrates, organic acids and amino acids. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive chemical characterization of taste and nutrient compounds in ‘Shushanggan apricot’ fruits.

The impact of food variety on taste identification and preferences: Evidence from the Cook Islands Archipelago

Food perception is shaped by many factors including genes, geographical location, social and cultural influences, and food availability. Interactions among these factors can result in cross-cultural differences in taste preferences. However, understanding how any single factor accounts for cross-cultural variability is difficult when comparing societies that are both geographically and culturally distinct. Here, to more directly test how food availability influences taste identification and taste preferences, we analyzed two populations living in the same geographical region (Cook Islands Archipelago, South Pacific Ocean) and within the same culture, but differing in terms of food availability. Taste identification and preferences were compared between inhabitants of Rarotonga Island (n = 34) who have regular access to diverse food supplies, and Penrhyn Island (n = 29) whose access to diverse food products is extremely limited. Participants were asked to recognize sprays containing five basic food tastants and to indicate their preference for each taste and frequency of its ingestion. We found that food availability did not influence basic taste identification. Group differences in taste preferences were limited to sourness, which was preferred relatively more by Rarotonga inhabitants who enjoy broader food access. Our results suggest that mere variety of available food is not an essential factor in shaping taste preferences.

Cognitive Keys in Psychophysical Estimation of Chemosensory Perception in University Students.

Psychophysical methods allow us to measure the relationship between stimuli and sensory perception. Of these, Detection Threshold (DT) allows us to know the minimum concentration to produce taste identification. Given this, we wonder whether, for example, wine tasting experts are more capable of perceiving their sensory properties than other people, or whether they can distinguish them because they are better able to “describe” them. To verify this, this study analyses the influence of having prior knowledge of the name astringency and, failing that, to detect it and distinguish it between the four basic tastes. One-hundred-and-sixty-two university students with an average age of 19.43 (SD = 2.55) years were assigned to three experimental conditions: an experimental group (G.2) without previous knowledge of the name astringency and with alimentary satiety, and two control groups, both with previous knowledge of the name, these being G.1, with satiety, and G.3, with hunger. DT was collected for the four basic tastes and astringencies. Results showed significant differences in the identification of astringency, being the least identified experimental group with respect to the control groups. It is striking that G.2, without prior knowledge of the name, identified astringency as a bitter taste in most cases. This supports our hypothesis of the importance of attending to linguistic cognitive processes when psychophysically estimating taste in humans.