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1.
Differences in Salivary Proteins as a Function of PROP Taster Status and Gender in Normal Weight and Obese Subjects.
Melis, M, Mastinu, M, Pintus, S, Cabras, T, Crnjar, R, Tomassini Barbarossa, I
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;(8)
Abstract
Taste plays an important role in processes such as food choices, nutrition status and health. Salivary proteins contribute to taste sensitivity. Taste reduction has been associated with obesity. Gender influences the obesity predisposition and the genetic ability to perceive the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), oral marker for food preferences and consumption. We investigated variations in the profile of salivary proteome, analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS, between sixty-one normal weight subjects (NW) and fifty-seven subjects with obesity (OB), based on gender and PROP sensitivity. Results showed variations of taste-related salivary proteins between NW and OB, which were differently associated with gender and PROP sensitivity. High levels of Ps-1, II-2 and IB-1 proteins belonging to basic proline rich proteins (bPRPs) and PRP-1 protein belonging to acid proline rich proteins (aPRPs) were found in OB males, who showed a lower body mass index (BMI) than OB females. High levels of Ps-1 protein and Cystatin SN (Cyst SN) were found in OB non-tasters, who had lower BMI than OB super-tasters. These new insights on the role of salivary proteins as a factor driving the specific weight gain of OB females and super-tasters, suggest the use of specific proteins as a strategic tool modifying taste responses related to eating behavior.
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2.
Oral Microbiota Profile Associates with Sugar Intake and Taste Preference Genes.
Esberg, A, Haworth, S, Hasslöf, P, Lif Holgerson, P, Johansson, I
Nutrients. 2020;(3)
Abstract
Oral microbiota ecology is influenced by environmental and host conditions, but few studies have evaluated associations between untargeted measures of the entire oral microbiome and potentially relevant environmental and host factors. This study aimed to identify salivary microbiota cluster groups using hierarchical cluster analyses (Wards method) based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and identify lifestyle and host factors which were associated with these groups. Group members (n = 175) were distinctly separated by microbiota profiles and differed in reported sucrose intake and allelic variation in the taste-preference-associated genes TAS1R1 (rs731024) and GNAT3 (rs2074673). Groups with higher sucrose intake were either characterized by a wide panel of species or phylotypes with fewer aciduric species, or by a narrower profile that included documented aciduric- and caries-associated species. The inferred functional profiles of the latter type were dominated by metabolic pathways associated with the carbohydrate metabolism with enrichment of glycosidase functions. In conclusion, this study supported in vivo associations between sugar intake and oral microbiota ecology, but it also found evidence for a variable microbiota response to sugar, highlighting the importance of modifying host factors and microbes beyond the commonly targeted acidogenic and acid-tolerant species. The results should be confirmed under controlled settings with comprehensive phenotypic and genotypic data.
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3.
Explicit and Implicit Responses to Tasting Drinks Associated with Different Tasting Experiences.
Kaneko, D, Hogervorst, M, Toet, A, van Erp, JBF, Kallen, V, Brouwer, AM
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). 2019;(20)
Abstract
Probing food experience or liking through verbal ratings has its shortcomings. We compare explicit ratings to a range of (neuro)physiological and behavioral measures with respect to their performance in distinguishing drinks associated with different emotional experience. Seventy participants tasted and rated the valence and arousal of eight regular drinks and a "ground truth" high-arousal, low-valence vinegar solution. The discriminative power for distinguishing between the vinegar solution and the regular drinks was highest for sip size, followed by valence ratings, arousal ratings, heart rate, skin conductance level, facial expression of "disgust," pupil diameter, and Electroencephalogram (EEG) frontal alpha asymmetry. Within the regular drinks, a positive correlation was found between rated arousal and heart rate, and a negative correlation between rated arousal and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Most physiological measures showed consistent temporal patterns over time following the announcement of the drink and taking a sip. This was consistent over all nine drinks, but the peaks were substantially higher for the vinegar solution than for the regular drinks, likely caused by emotion. Our results indicate that implicit variables have the potential to differentiate between drinks associated with different emotional experiences. In addition, this study gives us insight into the physiological temporal response patterns associated with taking a sip.
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First objective evaluation of taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a paradigm gustatory stimulus in humans.
Sollai, G, Melis, M, Pani, D, Cosseddu, P, Usai, I, Crnjar, R, Bonfiglio, A, Tomassini Barbarossa, I
Scientific reports. 2017;:40353
Abstract
Practical and reliable methods for the objective measure of taste function are critically important for studying eating behavior and taste function impairment. Here, we present direct measures of human gustatory response to a prototypical bitter compound, 6-n-propyltiouracil (PROP), obtained by electrophysiological recordings from the tongue of subjects who were classified for taster status and genotyped for the specific receptor gene (TAS2R38), and in which taste papilla density was determined. PROP stimulation evoked negative slow potentials that represent the summated depolarization of taste cells. Depolarization amplitude and rate were correlated with papilla density and perceived bitterness, and associated with taster status and TAS2R38. Our study provides a robust and generalizable research tool for the quantitative measure of peripheral taste function, which can greatly help to resolve controversial outcomes on the PROP phenotype role in taste perception and food preferences, and be potentially useful for evaluating nutritional status and health.
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5.
Association of Oral Fat Sensitivity with Body Mass Index, Taste Preference, and Eating Habits in Healthy Japanese Young Adults.
Asano, M, Hong, G, Matsuyama, Y, Wang, W, Izumi, S, Izumi, M, Toda, T, Kudo, TA
The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine. 2016;(2):93-103
Abstract
Oral fat sensitivity (OFS, the ability to detect fat) may be related to overeating-induced obesity. However, it is largely unknown whether OFS affects taste preference and eating habits. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate (1) the association between body mass index (BMI) and OFS and (2) the relationship of OFS with four types of taste preference (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) and eating habits using serial concentrations of oleic acid (OA) homogenized in non-fat milk and a self-reported questionnaire. Participants were 25 healthy Japanese individuals (mean age: 27.0 ± 5.6 years), among whom the OA detection threshold was significantly associated with BMI. Participants were divided into two subgroups based on oral sensitivity to 2.8 mM OA: hypersensitive (able to detect 2.8 mM OA, n = 16) and hyposensitive (unable to detect 2.8 mM OA, n = 9). The degree of sweet taste preference of the hypersensitive group was significantly higher than that of the hyposensitive group. Furthermore, there was significantly higher degree of preference for high-fat sweet foods than low-fat sweet foods in the hypersensitive group. There was also a significant inverse correlation between the OA detection threshold and the degree of both spare eating and postprandial satiety. Thus, OFS is associated not only with BMI, but also with the preference for high-fat sweet foods and eating habits. The present study provides novel insights that measuring OFS may be useful for assessing the risk of obesity associated with overeating in countries, including Japan, where BMI is increasing in the population.
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6.
Children's perceptions about medicines: individual differences and taste.
Mennella, JA, Roberts, KM, Mathew, PS, Reed, DR
BMC pediatrics. 2015;:130
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bitter taste receptors are genetically diverse, so children likely vary in sensitivity to the "bad" taste of some pediatric formulations. Based on prior results that variation in a bitter taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, was related to solid (pill) formulation usage, we investigated whether this variation related to liquid formulation usage and young children's reports of past experiences with medicines and whether maternal reports of these past experiences were concordant with those of their children. METHODS We conducted retrospective interviews of 172 children 3 to 10 years old and their mothers (N = 130) separately in a clinical research setting about issues related to medication usage. Children were genotyped for the TASR38 variant A49P (alanine to proline at position 49). Children's responses were compared with their TAS2R38 genotype and with maternal reports. RESULTS Children (>4 years) reported rejecting medication primarily because of taste complaints, and those with at least one sensitive TAS2R38 allele (AP or PP genotype) were more likely to report rejecting liquid medications than were those without a taster allele (AA genotype; χ(2) = 5.72, df = 1, p = 0.02). Children's and mothers' reports of the children's past problems with medication were in concordance (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Individual differences in taste responses to medications highlight the need to consider children's genetic variation and their own perceptions when developing formulations acceptable to the pediatric palate. Pediatric trials could systematically collect valid information directly from children and from their caregivers regarding palatability (rejection) issues, providing data to develop well-accepted pediatric formulations that effectively treat illnesses for all children. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov protocol registration system (NCT01407939). Registered 19 July 2011.
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7.
Startling sweet temptations: hedonic chocolate deprivation modulates experience, eating behavior, and eyeblink startle.
Blechert, J, Naumann, E, Schmitz, J, Herbert, BM, Tuschen-Caffier, B
PloS one. 2014;(1):e85679
Abstract
Many individuals restrict their food intake to prevent weight gain. This restriction has both homeostatic and hedonic effects but their relative contribution is currently unclear. To isolate hedonic effects of food restriction, we exposed regular chocolate eaters to one week of chocolate deprivation but otherwise regular eating. Before and after this hedonic deprivation, participants viewed images of chocolate and images of high-calorie but non-chocolate containing foods, while experiential, behavioral and eyeblink startle responses were measured. Compared to satiety, hedonic deprivation triggered increased chocolate wanting, liking, and chocolate consumption but also feelings of frustration and startle potentiation during the intertrial intervals. Deprivation was further characterized by startle inhibition during both chocolate and food images relative to the intertrial intervals. Individuals who responded with frustration to the manipulation and those who scored high on a questionnaire of impulsivity showed more relative startle inhibition. The results reveal the profound effects of hedonic deprivation on experiential, behavioral and attentional/appetitive response systems and underscore the role of individual differences and state variables for startle modulation. Implications for dieting research and practice as well as for eating and weight disorders are discussed.
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8.
Age-related differences in bitter taste and efficacy of bitter blockers.
Mennella, JA, Reed, DR, Roberts, KM, Mathew, PS, Mansfield, CJ
PloS one. 2014;(7):e103107
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bitter taste is the primary culprit for rejection of pediatric liquid medications. We probed the underlying biology of bitter sensing and the efficacy of two known bitter blockers in children and adults. METHODS A racially diverse group of 154 children (3-10 years old) and their mothers (N = 118) evaluated the effectiveness of two bitter blockers, sodium gluconate (NaG) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), for five food-grade bitter compounds (quinine, denatonium benzoate, caffeine, propylthiouracil (PROP), urea) using a forced-choice method of paired comparisons. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01407939). RESULTS The blockers reduced bitterness in 7 of 10 bitter-blocker combinations for adults but only 3 of 10 for children, suggesting that efficacy depends on age and is also specific to each bitter-blocker combination. Only the bitterness of urea was reduced by both blockers in both age groups, whereas the bitterness of PROP was not reduced by either blocker in either age group regardless of TAS2R38 genotype. Children liked the salty taste of the blocker NaG more than did adults, but both groups liked the savory taste of MSG equally. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Bitter blocking was less effective in children, and the efficacy of blocking was both age and compound specific. This knowledge will pave the way for evidence-based strategies to help develop better-tasting medicines and highlights the conclusion that adult panelists and genotyping alone may not always be appropriate in evaluating the taste of a drug geared for children.
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9.
Habituation to the pleasure elicited by sweetness in lean and obese women.
Pepino, MY, Mennella, JA
Appetite. 2012;(3):800-5
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Abstract
In this study, we used a validated psychophysical tool, the hedonic general magnitude scale (hedonic gLMS), to examine whether hedonic responsivity after repetitive tasting of a sweet-tasting liquid follows a habituation pattern that is independent of adaptation to the sweet taste at the orosensory level, and whether the pattern of response is different between obese (N=22) and lean (N=32) women. The perceived sweet intensity and hedonic value of a 24% w/v sucrose solution was measured with the gLMS and sucrose preferences with the Monell two-series, forced-choice tracking method. Although women perceived the same intensity of sweetness across trials, obese women responded with a slower rate of habituation to the liking of repetitive sweet-taste orosensory stimulation than did lean women. Therefore, the decreased hedonic response observed in obese women cannot be explained by adaptation processes at the orosensory level or by differential perception of taste intensity or scale bias between the groups. The groups did not differ in the level of sweetness preferred. Because obesity was associated with slower patterns of habituation to the palatability elicited by sweetness in women, this characteristic could contribute to slower satiation rates, prolongation of eating episodes, and excessive food consumption in obese women.
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Effect of satiety on brain activation during chocolate tasting in men and women.
Smeets, PA, de Graaf, C, Stafleu, A, van Osch, MJ, Nievelstein, RA, van der Grond, J
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2006;(6):1297-305
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The brain plays a crucial role in the decision to eat, integrating multiple hormonal and neural signals. A key factor controlling food intake is selective satiety, ie, the phenomenon that the motivation to eat more of a food decreases more than does the motivation to eat foods not eaten. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effect of satiation with chocolate on the brain activation associated with chocolate taste in men and women. DESIGN Twelve men and 12 women participated. Subjects fasted overnight and were scanned by use of functional magnetic resonance imaging while tasting chocolate milk, before and after eating chocolate until they were satiated. RESULTS In men, chocolate satiation was associated with increased taste activation in the ventral striatum, insula, and orbitofrontal and medial orbitofrontal cortex and with decreased taste activation in somatosensory areas. Women showed increased taste activation in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and putamen and decreased taste activation in the hypothalamus and amygdala. Sex differences in the effect of chocolate satiation were found in the hypothalamus, ventral striatum, and medial prefrontal cortex (all P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that men and women differ in their response to satiation and suggest that the regulation of food intake by the brain may vary between the sexes. Therefore, sex differences are a covariate of interest in studies of the brain's responses to food.