Formulation of poorly water-soluble drugs in lipid nanocarriers: a suitable approach for taste masking or bitter-taste enhancing?

Bitter taste disorders are common chemotherapy-induced side effects that compromise nutrition and quality of life. Since no treatment exists for conditions such as bitter taste hypersensitivity and phantogeusia, we hypothesized that a homoeriodictyol sodium (Na-HED) mouthwash reduces chemotherapy-induced bitterness sensitivity caused by salivary platinum (Pt) species derived from intravenously administered carboplatin. In a clinical pilot study involving patients with gynecological cancer (n = 8) receiving carboplatin-based chemotherapy, dietary intake, salivary Pt concentrations, and changes in taste perception were investigated. Patients exhibited decreased energy and protein intake, and salivary Pt. Using an in vitro blood-saliva barrier model, the transfer of Pt-based agents, specifically carboplatin and cisplatin, was demonstrated. Standardized sensory testing in patients revealed increased bitter taste sensitivity compared with the chemo-naïve baseline. A rinse-and-spit solution containing Na-HED, an approved flavoring compound and antagonist of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs), reduced the perceived bitterness of caffeine in patients receiving carboplatin (n = 15). As various anticancer agents are predicted to bind to TAS2Rs, a prerequisite for bitter taste sensation, this bitter-masking strategy may have broader applicability. Our preliminary findings show that the Na-HED mouthwash reduces bitter taste sensitivity in patients, supporting its potential to alleviate chemotherapy-induced bitter taste hypersensitivity and phantogeusia.

Marine mammals such as cetaceans and pinnipeds are known to have largely lost their sense of taste, probably due to their transition from a mixed to a strictly carnivorous diet and from masticating plant-based food to swallowing their animal prey whole. In contrast, nothing is known so far about the functionality of the sense of taste in sirenians, the only extant herbivorous marine mammals. Using two-bottle preference tests of short duration (2 min), we therefore assessed the gustatory responsiveness of three adult male Greater Caribbean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) to food-associated substances representing the five canonical taste qualities. Further, we assessed if the manatees display a preference for the taste of freshwater over that of seawater. We found that the manatees showed no significant preference for or significant avoidance of any of the taste stimuli when presented at concentrations that are detectable for most mammal species tested so far. This was true both when using seawater or freshwater as the solvent and as the alternative stimulus. The manatees also showed no significant preference for freshwater over seawater. These results are not consistent with anatomical findings that reported manatees to possess a high number of taste buds and with genetic findings suggesting the taste receptor genes of manatees to be intact. Further, they do not align with the notion that access to freshwater sources is an important feature of their habitat. Our results suggest that the herbivorous dietary specialization of manatees may not have prevented a reduction in their sense of taste. However, at this point we cannot decide whether the manatees can't taste or don't care about taste.

The gut-brain axis in avian appetite regulation: Integrating peripheral signals with central neurocircuitry.

Application of an electronic tongue for taste assessment of some brands of commercially available milk in South Africa: A comparative analysis

In this article, the traditional method and the fuzzy sampling method were used to identify the most important symptoms indicative of suspected infection with the Coronavirus using a questionnaire prepared for the purpose of collecting information about the phenomenon studied. The questionnaire was distributed in three hospitals affiliated with the Babylon Health Department to doctors with specific specialties (chest - respiratory - internal medicine), with (20) questionnaires in Marjan Teaching Hospital, (20) questionnaires in Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) Teaching Hospital, and (15) questionnaires in Al-Hashimiya General Hospital. Thus, the total number of individuals in the research sample was (55) specialist doctors. It was found that the fuzzy sampling method was more accurate than the traditional method in identifying the most important symptoms indicative of suspected infection with the Coronavirus, which were distinguished as main signs of infection, namely fever, shortness of breath, loss of the sense of smell or taste, and muscle pain. As for the symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, they are the least common in diagnosis. The symptoms of dry cough, fatigue, headache, and sore throat are not clearly influential in determining infection.

The sensory perception of wine arises from dynamic interactions processed through two complementary pathways: orthonasal, via inhalation through the nasal cavity, and retronasal, occurring during consumption as compounds are released in the oral cavity and integrated with taste and tactile sensations. Although closures are known to affect oxidative–reductive balance during bottle storage, their impact on orthonasal and retronasal perception remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, a blend red wine from Burgenland, Austria, sealed with Natural Cork, Microagglomerated cork, and Screw Cap closures, was evaluated after 30 months of in-bottle storage. Analyses of physicochemical parameters and phenolic and volatile composition were combined with oxireduction sensory evaluation by a trained panel. Wine sealed with Natural Cork presented a more balanced and complex aroma profile, while wine sealed with a Screw Cap promoted reductive defaults associated with sulfur compounds. Wine sealed with Microagglomerated cork exhibited an intermediate behavior, with phenolic composition positioned between that with Natural Cork and a Screw Cap, and volatile profile showing, with the exception of sulfur compounds, a greater similarity to that with a Screw Cap. Notably, ortho- and retronasal oxireductive scores co-varied, driven by multiple volatile families, and are aligned with oxidation and/or reduction volatile marker content. These findings highlight the role of closure type in modulating both chemical composition and sensory perception, demonstrating that wine–closure pairing can be strategically used to guide the evolution of a wine’s identity during medium-term storage.

The Sensory Biology of Mosquito Gustation

The detection and strain-level identification of bacteria in food are critical for public health; however, conventional methods typically require expensive equipment, lengthy protocols, and/or specialized expertise. Here, we report a 'chemical tongue' strategy, i.e., an analytical approach inspired by the human gustatory system, for the rapid and user-friendly strain-level sensing of foodborne bacteria. In this platform, a panel of cationic polymers that bear environment-responsive dansyl fluorophores interact nonspecifically yet differentially with the negatively charged bacterial surface, generating strain-specific fluorescence response patterns. By applying pattern-recognition algorithms, we accurately discriminated seven Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains. We further demonstrate the practical applicability of this approach to bacterial analysis in milk by integrating a brief and effective pretreatment that suppresses matrix-derived interference. This enables reliable strain-level identification across different milk matrices, discrimination of E. coli strains in the presence of spoilage-associated psychrotrophic bacteria, and time-dependent monitoring of milk quality changes induced by bacterial growth. Taken together, our chemical-tongue platform provides a rapid and cultivation-free solution for strain-level analysis of microbial contamination in complex food matrices, offering a promising foundation for next-generation food quality monitoring and safety management.

Taste sensation plays a crucial role in shaping feeding behavior and is intricately influenced by internal states like hunger or satiety. Despite the identification of numerous neural substrates regulating feeding behavior, the central neural substrate that linked energy-sensing and taste sensation remained elusive. Here, we identified a novel neural circuitry that could directly sense internal energy state and modulate sweet sensation in the Drosophila brain. Specifically, a subset of neuropeptidergic neurons expressing hugin directly detected elevated levels of circulating glucose via glucose transporter Glut1 and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Upon activation, these neurons released hugin peptide and activated downstream Allatostatin A (AstA) + neurons via its cognate receptor PK2-R1. Subsequently, the activation of AstA + neurons then directly inhibited sweet sensation via AstA peptide and its cognate receptor AstA-R1 expressed in sweet-sensing Gr5a + neurons. We also showed that Neuromedin U (NMU), the mammalian homolog of fly hugin, served as an energy sensor to suppress sweet sensation. Therefore, these data identify hugin + neuron as a glucose-responsive central energy-sensing module that modulates sweet sensation across species.

Taste sensation plays a crucial role in shaping feeding behavior and is intricately influenced by internal states like hunger or satiety. Despite the identification of numerous neural substrates regulating feeding behavior, the central neural substrate that linked energy-sensing and taste sensation remained elusive. Here, we identified a novel neural circuitry that could directly sense internal energy state and modulate sweet sensation in the Drosophila brain. Specifically, a subset of neuropeptidergic neurons expressing hugin directly detected elevated levels of circulating glucose via glucose transporter Glut1 and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Upon activation, these neurons released hugin peptide and activated downstream Allatostatin A (AstA)+ neurons via its cognate receptor PK2-R1. Subsequently, the activation of AstA+ neurons then directly inhibited sweet sensation via AstA peptide and its cognate receptor AstA-R1 expressed in sweet-sensing Gr5a+ neurons. We also showed that Neuromedin U (NMU), the mammalian homolog of fly hugin, served as an energy sensor to suppress sweet sensation. Therefore, these data identify hugin+ neuron as a glucose-responsive central energy-sensing module that modulates sweet sensation across species.

Taste sensation plays a crucial role in shaping feeding behavior and is intricately influenced by internal states like hunger or satiety. Despite the identification of numerous neural substrates regulating feeding behavior, the central neural substrate that linked energy-sensing and taste sensation remained elusive. Here, we identified a novel neural circuitry that could directly sense internal energy state and modulate sweet sensation in the Drosophila brain. Specifically, a subset of neuropeptidergic neurons expressing hugin directly detected elevated levels of circulating glucose via glucose transporter Glut1 and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Upon activation, these neurons released hugin peptide and activated downstream Allatostatin A (AstA)+ neurons via its cognate receptor PK2-R1. Subsequently, the activation of AstA+ neurons then directly inhibited sweet sensation via AstA peptide and its cognate receptor AstA-R1 expressed in sweet-sensing Gr5a+ neurons. We also showed that Neuromedin U (NMU), the mammalian homolog of fly hugin, served as an energy sensor to suppress sweet sensation. Therefore, these data identify hugin+ neuron as a glucose-responsive central energy-sensing module that modulates sweet sensation across species.

Postprandial dynamics of sensory receptor and neural mechanisms underlying feeding regulation in mule ducks

Influence of Huangjiu on flavor development in braised pork: A Flavoromics approach.

Volatile compounds contribute to wine aroma and can interact with polyphenols, polysaccharides (PS), and proteins. This work evaluated the effects of adding different PS extracts obtained from winery by-products, must and wine on the volatile composition and sensory attributes of young red wines. These results highlight the effect of the wine matrix on the impact of PS on the volatile composition. The highest concentrations of volatile compounds were reached in wines with higher phenolic content and mainly those treated with PS extracts contained higher proportions of low-molecular-weight PS (55–68%). These PS extracts maintained high concentrations of compounds related to fruity and floral aromas, such as ethyl esters of fatty acids (8–23%), alcohol acetates (9–23%), and terpenes (11–43%). In addition, the PS extracts from winery by-products and wines improved taste sensations in young red wines, mainly those with high acidity, by reducing acidity, bitterness and astringency. Therefore, PS extracts obtained from by-products have the capacity to modulate the volatile composition and mouthfeel of red wines with high phenolic content, excess acidity or astringency.

Individual pre-slaughter muscle proteolysis levels correlated with postmortem taste-related amino acid concentrations in broiler chickens.

Overview of salt reduction strategies and saltiness evaluation methods

BackgroundMedication-induced oral hyperpigmentation represents an adverse drug reaction characterized by variable latency and unclear mechanism. Diagnosis is particularly challenging in older adults due to non-specific symptoms, multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy.Case reportWe present the first documented case of a woman in her 80s experiencing patchy, bluish hyperpigmentation of dorsum of tongue and buccal mucosa with altered taste sensation and swallowing difficulty, in association with chronic venlafaxine ingestion that remained undiagnosed for many years. To establish the current diagnosis, a comprehensive history taking, clinical examination, blood investigations and imaging studies were utilized to rule out the endogenous causes. Following discontinuation of venlafaxine, at 1month follow-up, there was complete resolution of oral hyperpigmentation together with significant improvement in dysphagia and dysgeusia indicating a probable association with the drug.ConclusionThis report highlights the need for the healthcare professionals to be aware of the medications linked to oral hyperpigmentation to facilitate timely diagnosis, patient reassurance and optimize management.

The geniculate ganglion (GG) consists of two populations of neurons, sensory neurons that innervate the oral cavity and express the transcription factor Phox2b, and somatosensory neurons that innervate the pinna and express Brn3a. To identify signaling pathways necessary for oral sensory neuron development and physiology, the translatome of Phox2b+ GG neurons was selectively profiled using the RiboTag method. From this analysis, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) was identified as one of the most highly enriched tyrosine kinase receptors. In situ hybridization revealed that Alk was expressed in nearly all Phox2b+ neurons and was absent from Phox2b- neurons. Alk was robustly expressed in the GG at all ages examined, from E14.5 into adulthood. To determine whether Alk is necessary for development of the peripheral gustatory system, GG and taste buds (TBs) from postnatal day 3 (P3), P14 and P30 Alk−/− and Alk+/+ male and female mice were examined. Neither oral sensory neurons (PHOX2B+) nor total GG neurons (TUJ1+) were lost in Alk−/− mice. However, TB number, volume and innervation were all significantly decreased in Alk−/− mice, as compared to Alk+/+ mice. ALK mutations cause a portion of non-small cell lung cancers, and treatment with selective ALK inhibitors, such as Ceritinib, frequently causes dysgeusia. Male and female mice receiving Ceritinib for 30 days showed a dramatic reduction in TB volume and TB innervation, as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Somal diameters of oral sensory neurons atrophied and a significant portion of PHOX2B+ neurons died in Ceritinib-treated mice. ALK is thus critical for development and life-long maintenance of oral sensory neurons.

Taste-active peptides, end-to-end: from generation and sensory validation to AI-driven discovery.