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PubMed2005

Perception of temporal order and the identification of components in taste mixtures.

The capacity of humans to identify the components of taste mixtures is limited to 3 for most people [D.G. Laing, C. Link, A. Jinks, I. Hutchinson, The limited capacity of humans to identify the components of taste mixtures and taste-odor mixtures. Perception 31 (2002) 617-635]. Here, the hypothesis that temporal processing differences have a major role in limiting capacity is investigated. Thirty two subjects were trained to identify sucrose, sodium chloride and citric acid at FIVE concentration levels and were then required to indicate (1) which tastant was perceived first and (2) the identity of each component, in binary and ternary mixtures. Within each mixture set, e.g. sucrose-citric acid, the concentrations of components were adjusted to provide some conditions where intensities and time differences in processing the individual components were minimized. With binary mixtures, changes in intensity resulted in identification of only one component when the differences were largest, and both being identified when intensities were similar. In contrast, subjects found it difficult to indicate which component was perceived first when the intensities were similar and easy when they were substantially different. The most profound effects occurred with ternary mixtures. With each of the three sets, there were several where subjects could not indicate which component was perceived first, and in 13/18 mixtures not all components were identified above chance. Indeed, the most common number of components identified was 2. However, although perception of order was lost in a number of mixtures, this did not preclude identification of one or all three components. This result contrasts with the finding with odors where total loss of order resulted in loss of identity of all components in ternary mixtures [A. Jinks, D.G. Laing, Temporal processing reveals a mechanism for limiting the capacity of humans to analyze mixtures. Cognitive Brain Res. 8 (1999) 311-325]. Thus, loss of identity with taste mixtures seems to occur to a lesser degree. Indeed suppression rather than temporal effects may be the main cause of the loss of identity of components with ternary taste mixtures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Development of inosine monophosphate and its degradation products during aging of pork of different qualities in relation to basic taste and retronasal flavor perception of the meat.

Inosine monophosphate (IMP) and its degradation products, ribose and hypoxanthine, are all considered to be important constituents in meat flavor formation and development. The present study explored the fate of IMP during the aging of two qualities of pork (pH >5.7 and 5.5 < pH < 5.6) and the potential relationship between IMP, hypoxanthine, and sensory attributes of pork registered both as retronasal and basic taste responses in whole meat, meat juice, and the remaining meat residue. During aging the concentration of IMP decreased with a simultaneous increase in the concentrations of inosine, hypoxanthine, and ribose. The rates at which IMP was degraded to inosine and inosine to hypoxanthine during aging were found to be in agreement with the known rate constants of the dephosphorylation of IMP and the hydrolysis of inosine, respectively. Moreover, high-pH pork resulted in a significantly higher concentration of hypoxanthine throughout storage compared with low-pH pork due to an initially higher concentration of IMP in high-pH meat. The sensory analysis showed increasing intensity in bitterness and saltiness of pork as a function of aging, with the intensity being most pronounced in the meat juice. The increasing bitterness of the pork as a function of aging coincided with the higher content of hypoxanthine in these samples, thereby suggesting that degradation of IMP to hypoxanthine might influence pork flavor. In contrast, IMP was associated with nonaged meat and the sensory attributes meaty and brothy.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Odor-taste mixtures.

A solution with both an odor and a taste may be considered to be a mixture that involves two sensory modalities. Estimates of the intensity of such mixtures appear to be additive. If the overall intensity of each of the unmixed components is compared with the overall intensity of the mixture, the additivity approaches 100%. If the intensities of the smell and taste of the unmixed components are compared with the overall intensity of the mixture, the additivity is less than 100%. Thus, the specific question that is given to the subjects influences the magnitude of the estimations. This suggests that the additive process involves a central (cognitive) mechanism. Considering that the perception of complex flavors also involves sensory information of touch, temperature, and possibly vision and hearing, a central interpretation seems appropriate. The influences of smell on the perception of taste also appear to involve a cognitive mechanism. These smell-taste confusions appear to be stimulus specific and are usually resolved in favor of taste. This may be true because the sensations of pressure, movement, and resistance are usually localized in the mouth. These accompanying sensations then suggest that the taste organs are active in determining the result even when no true taste is present. The influences of taste on the perception of smell are most pronounced when the tastant contains an odor. This suggests that the effect may be peripheral. That is, odorant molecules may be moving from the pharynx, through the posterior nares, to the olfactory receptors. If this interpretation is correct, the influences of taste on smell may be an odor-odor mixture involving "retronasal" and "nasal" olfaction.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

[Assessment of the correlation between taste and smell functioning].

UNLABELLED: There are few studies examining relationship between taste and smell. However their clinical unity is more often indicated. Smell perception abnormalities cause modification in taste of food intensity, disabling perception of taste as a consequence of taste's sniffing failure. Thus disturbances of these senses, which often commonly coexist could cause great discomfort in patients, however taste sense is estimated as less important comparing to smell sense. The aim of that study was to compare the taste perception in patients with normal smell function and patients with hyposmia and anosmia. There was analyzed correlation between the patients' subjective estimation of smell and taste senses and results of gustometry and olfactometry examinations. MATERIAL AND METHOD: there were indicated three groups of patients based on smell examination with usage of Elsberga--Levy'ego olfactometr in Pruszewicz modification. The first group included patients with normosmia, the second--patients with hyposmia or anosmia related to every smell, the third--patients with hyposmia on few smells and normal smell feeling of others. The Bornstein's method gustometry modified by us was performed for all groups. Moreover patients presented their subjective estimation of smell and taste senses. All results were statistically analyzed, taking into consideration results with alpha < or = 0.05. RESULTS: All (100%) patients with normosmia correctly identified sour, bitter and salty tastes, while only 53% of patients with hyposmia and anosmia got similar results. However 76.5% of patients from the second group subjectively estimated their sense of taste as a normal perception. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with smell disturbances significantly more often have abnormalities in taste perception than patients with normosmia and their subjective estimation of taste and smell senses is much more different than gustometry and olfactometry results.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Suprathreshold sour taste intensity and pleasantness perception with age.

Magnitude estimates for perceived intensity and pleasantness of suprathreshold concentrations of citric acid in solution and drink were examined in 180 healthy, free-living subjects divided into three groups: young (20-29 years), old (70-79 years) and very old (80-99 years). Psychophysical functions showed significant age effects. For both aqueous and food systems, the old gave higher intensity estimates to high acid concentrations and lower intensity estimates to low acid levels compared to the young and very old whose estimates were comparable. Sex had a significant effect on the intensity estimates with the women giving low acid levels lower estimates and high acid levels higher estimates than the men. All subjects gave low acid levels in solution lower intensity estimates than comparable drinks while at high concentrations, higher intensity estimates were given to solutions than drinks. Trend analysis of pleasantness estimates indicated significant age group differences. For both systems, the breakpoint, the acid level assigned the highest pleasantness estimate was lower for the young than for the elderly.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Administering the "AHSP Questionnaire" (appetite, hunger, sensory perception) in a geriatric rehabilitation care.

BACKGROUND: Frail elderly people, living in nursing homes, usually show a malnutrition state caused by an increased need of energy or an inadequate food intake. Among the causes leading to reduction of food intake in elderly people and consequently to malnutrition, is the loss of appetite, often marker of depression and alterations of taste and smell perception. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to verify the application of the AHSP Questionnaire and relate its score to nutritional state of a frail elderly population hospitalized in a geriatric rehabilitation care. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: All patients of the "3rd Rehabilitation Department" of the Istituto Geriatrico "Villa delle Querce" Nemi (Rome-Italy). METHODS: Informations, number and type of medical conditions, prescribed drugs, other parameters that can affect taste, smell, hunger and nutritional status, mood, cognitive and nutritional status have been collected from the clinical folders. To assess appetite, hunger smell and taste perception had been submitted the AHSP Questionnaire. RESULTS: The AHSP Questionnaire had been administered only to 44 of the 103 patients present at the survey because of the high prevalence of cognitive impairment. AHSP score is lower in presence of malnutrition assessed with MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment). MNA, expressed as proportional score, seems to present a clear correlation with AHSP's (r=0.59; p=0.000). CONCLUSION: The results achieved show the scarce adaptability of the AHSP Questionnaire to frail elderly people living in geriatric rehabilitation care. MNA is at the moment the most reliable tool to single out dietary deficiency on geriatrics population.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Perception and hedonics of sweet and fat taste in smokers and nonsmokers following nicotine intake.

Nicotine's effects on reducing perception and/or hedonics of sweet and fat taste may lead to less intake of sweet tasting, high-fat foods by smokers, helping to explain their generally lower body weights. Smokers and nonsmokers (n = 10 males each) rated perception (intensity and sensitivity) and hedonics (liking) of sweet/fat taste in milk samples varying both in sucrose (0, 5, 10, 20% w/w) and fat (0.1, 3.5, 11.7, 37.6% w/w) concentration on two occasions, once following intermittent presentation of nicotine (15 micrograms/kg) via measured dose nasal spray and the other following placebo. Nicotine significantly reduced perceived intensity of fat but not sweet taste and had no effect on sensitivity to either taste. There was no effect of nicotine on hedonics of sweet/fat taste. On the other hand, although there were no differences between smokers and nonsmokers in perception of sweet or fat, hedonics of sweet/fat taste was reduced in smokers regardless of nicotine or placebo intake. Thus, nicotine may acutely decrease fat taste perception without influencing sweet/fat hedonics, while long-term exposure (i.e., being a smoker) may produce chronically decreased taste hedonics without altering perception.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Assessing appetite in Dutch elderly with the Appetite, Hunger and Sensory Perception (AHSP) questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: In investigating anorexia of ageing, attention is often given to physical and psychological determinants of appetite in the elderly but little has been done to provide information on self-assessment of appetite and sensory perceptions in the elderly. OBJECTIVES: to provide data and detect possible differences in self-assessment of appetite, hunger feelings and sensory perception in different health group of elderly using the Appetite, Hunger feelings and Sensory Perception (AHSP) questionnaire. METHODS: three health categories of elderly subjects were used for the present study: free-living with no help, free-living with help and nursing home elderly. For each group, collected data were general characteristics, anthropometry and answers to the AHSP. The AHSP questionnaire includes 29-items focusing on feelings of hunger and appetite as well as taste and smell perception addressing both the present situation and the period before retirement. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the 3 health groups for appetite, hunger feelings, present taste perception and present smell perception (P<0.05). Appetite and hunger were found to be related to body weight in the healthiest but not in the others. CONCLUSION: A decline in health status is paired with a decrease in appetite, hunger feelings and sensory perceptions of elderly subjects.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Beliefs and attitudes related to narghile (waterpipe) smoking among university students in Syria.

PURPOSE: To assess the beliefs and attitudes related to narghile (waterpipe) smoking that are likely to contribute to its increased popularity among young people in Syria. METHODS: In 2003, a cross-sectional survey was administered to university students in Aleppo, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Overall, 587 students participated in the study (278 males, 309 females; mean age, 21.8 +/- 2.1; response rate 98.8%). RESULTS: The most common positive perceptions of narghile were related to its smell and taste. Negative perceptions of narghile included the smoke produced, the pollution, and perceived adverse health effects. Students believed the popularity of narghile to be part of a rising regional trend in its use, due to its being an appealing way to spend leisure time socializing with friends. More students (49.7%) believed narghile to be more harmful to health than cigarettes, compared with 30% who believed the opposite. Respiratory disease was the most commonly cited health effect of narghile smoking. Family attitudes regarding tobacco use by younger members were more permissive about narghile compared with cigarettes, and, surprisingly, were more permissive about females smoking narghile than males doing so. CONCLUSIONS: The rise in narghile smoking as a trendy social habit appears to be occurring despite considerable appreciation of its potential health risks. Permissiveness of adult family members towards narghile use by young female members, especially in the presence of a strong taboo against female cigarette smoking may contribute to the continuous spread of narghile smoking among women in Syria.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Oral anatomy and tissue types.

The gross and microscopic anatomy of the oral cavity and its contents are discussed from the perspective of their function. Histologically, the oral mucosa is classified into three categories, lining, masticatory, and specialized. The epithelium of the lining mucosa is nonkeratinized stratified squamous, whereas that of the masticatory mucosa is ortho- or parakeratinized, to protect it from the shearing forces of mastication. Specialized mucosa possesses taste buds, small epithelially derived structures responsible for the perception of taste sensation. The subepithelial connective tissue of the lining and masticatory mucosae interdigitate with their epithelia, and the degree of interdigitations is directly correlated with the strength of the shearing forces acting on the mucosa. The oral mucosa also participates in the immunological defense of the oral cavity due to the presence of Langerhans cells, antigen presenting cells in the epithelium.

Connective Tissue↗
PubMed1993

Nutrition and chemosensory perception in the elderly.

The elderly person's perception of foods and food flavor is affected by age-associated changes in the chemical senses (taste, smell, and trigeminal sensation). Both classic and modern psychophysical techniques have been applied to achieve some understanding of these changes. Taste threshold sensitivity declines with age; however, the magnitude of the decline and the degree to which taste qualities are differentially affected remains to be understood. Suprathreshold taste intensity perception is affected by age, but there is a differential effect of taste quality. Experiments with blended foods have indicated that both olfactory and taste deficits contribute to older people's difficulty with food identification. Experiments assessing threshold sensitivity, suprathreshold intensity, and suprathreshold identification have all demonstrated significant impairment in olfaction in old age. In fact, these effects are far greater than in the taste system. Patients with Alzheimer's disease show even greater olfactory deficits than normal elderly and the effect is related to the degree of dementia. We have ruled out nasal disease in these patients as the primary causes of olfactory insensitivity, because significant impairment remains when the influence of nasal airflow and nasal cytology has been removed statistically. Both normal elderly and patients with Alzheimer's disease show impairment in odor memory. Sensitivity to, familiarity with, and identifiability of the odors all play a role in odor memory performance. Flavor preference also changes over the lifespan. Older subjects, for instance, rate high concentration of sugar and salt as pleasanter than young subjects do. Multiple influences contribute to this phenomenon. Elderly persons and those of lower nutritional status have shown preferences for higher concentrations of casein hydrolysate than young persons and those of higher nutritional status, suggesting that dietary preference can be related to chemosensory cues. There are significant age-associated changes in chemosensory perception that have the potential to interact with dietary selection and nutrition in the elderly. A better understanding of these phenomena may promote health and well-being in the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Decrease in rat taste receptor cell intracellular pH is the proximate stimulus in sour taste transduction.

Taste receptor cells (TRCs) respond to acid stimulation, initiating perception of sour taste. Paradoxically, the pH of weak acidic stimuli correlates poorly with the perception of their sourness. A fundamental issue surrounding sour taste reception is the identity of the sour stimulus. We tested the hypothesis that acids induce sour taste perception by penetrating plasma membranes as H(+) ions or as undissociated molecules and decreasing the intracellular pH (pH(i)) of TRCs. Our data suggest that taste nerve responses to weak acids (acetic acid and CO(2)) are independent of stimulus pH but strongly correlate with the intracellular acidification of polarized TRCs. Taste nerve responses to CO(2) were voltage sensitive and were blocked with MK-417, a specific blocker of carbonic anhydrase. Strong acids (HCl) decrease pH(i) in a subset of TRCs that contain a pathway for H(+) entry. Both the apical membrane and the paracellular shunt pathway restrict H(+) entry such that a large decrease in apical pH is translated into a relatively small change in TRC pH(i) within the physiological range. We conclude that a decrease in TRC pH(i) is the proximate stimulus in rat sour taste transduction.

Acetic Acid↗