Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “taste perception”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Healthy eating in Ukraine: attitudes, barriers and information sources.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the major perceived influences on food choice, to examine the use of and trust in information sources concerning healthy eating, and to assess attitudes towards and barriers to adopting healthy eating practices in a post-USSR country (Ukraine). DESIGN: A survey of an urban adult population. The questions were adopted from the Pan-European Union (EU) Survey of Consumer Attitudes to Food, Nutrition and Health (1995-1996). SETTING: Lviv city, Ukraine. SUBJECTS: The survey included 296 adults (84 males, 212 females) aged 18-55 years; they were primarily college students and subjects with tertiary education--the groups most likely to be both interested in healthy eating and affected by current socioeconomic downturns. RESULTS: The major factors in food choice were: 'quality/freshness' (cited by 80%), 'price' (58%) and 'taste' (47%); only 34% cited 'trying to eat healthily'. More older people cited 'price' than 'quality/freshness', and men were more likely than women to cite 'taste'. Sources of healthy eating information included: 'relatives/friends' (cited by 65%, trusted by 85%) and health professionals (trusted by 92%, but used by only 35%); while advertising was the least trusted source (cited by 28%). Fifty-three per cent of respondents considered their diet to be healthy enough without further changes; 50% thought of the nutritional aspects of the food they ate; fewer women than men considered their diet healthy, and more women than men thought about nutrition. Barriers to healthy eating included: 'cost' (cited by 65%), 'lack of time' (55%), 'self-control' (54%), 'selection influences' (41%), 'lack of knowledge' (32%), 'unpleasant foods' and 'resistance to change' (both 30%). CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to encourage healthy eating in this population should involve word-of-mouth nutrition education concerning low-cost healthy alternatives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Gsalpha is involved in sugar perception in Drosophila melanogaster.

In Drosophila melanogaster, gustatory receptor genes (Grs) encode G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) and some olfactory receptor neurons. One of the Gr genes, Gr5a, encodes a sugar receptor that is expressed in a subset of GRNs and has been most extensively studied both molecularly and physiologically, but the G-protein alpha subunit (Galpha) that is coupled to this sugar receptor remains unknown. Here, we propose that Gs is the Galpha that is responsible for Gr5a-mediated sugar-taste transduction, based on the following findings: First, immunoreactivities against Gs were detected in a subset of GRNs including all Gr5a-expressing neurons. Second, trehalose-intake is reduced in flies heterozygous for null mutations in DGsalpha, a homolog of mammalian Gs, and trehalose-induced electrical activities in sugar-sensitive GRNs were depressed in those flies. Furthermore, expression of wild-type DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs in heterozygotic DGsalpha mutant flies rescued those impairments. Third, expression of double-stranded RNA for DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs depressed both behavioral and electrophysiological responses to trehalose. Together, these findings indicate that DGsalpha is involved in trehalose perception. We suggest that sugar-taste signals are processed through the Gsalpha-mediating signal transduction pathway in sugar-sensitive GRNs in Drosophila.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Application of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/comparative taste dilution analysis for identification of a bitter inhibitor by a combinatorial approach based on Maillard reaction chemistry.

Activity-directed fractionation of heated carbohydrate/alanine solutions recently led to the discovery of (+)-(S)-1-(1-carboxyethyl)-5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridinium inner salt (1, alapyridaine), and it has been shown that this compound lowers the detection thresholds of sugars, glutamate, and NaCl solutions, whereas no influence on bitter perception was observed. As this class of Maillard-derived pyridinium betaines seemed to be promising targets for further research on their taste modulatory activity, the objective of the present investigation was to screen for bitter taste-suppressing target molecules in combinatorial libraries of pyridinium betaines prepared from 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-aldehyde and amino acid mixtures by use of Maillard-type reaction chemistry instead of synthesizing and purifying each derivative individually. By application of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography in combination with the recently developed comparative taste dilution analysis, followed by structure determination, synthesis, and sensory studies, we have now succeeded in identifying 1-carboxymethyl-5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethylpyridinium inner salt (2) as a potential bitter-suppressing candidate. While tasteless on its own, 2 was found to reduce the bitterness of various bitter tastants such as the amino acid L-phenylalanine, the peptide Gly-Leu, the alkaloid caffeine, and the bitter glycosides salicin and naringin.

Alanine↗
PubMed2003

Influences of antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic drugs on the senses of taste and smell: a review.

According to the Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR), 36% of modern antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic drugs produce untoward alterations in chemosensory perception. Such disturbances can adversely affect the quality of life, produce non-compliance to medication schedules, and may result in decreased food intake, loss of appetite, weight decrement, and depression. This review lists the primary antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic drugs that adversely alter chemosensory function, provides information on better defining the nature of the dysfunction, outlines testing strategies and available tests that could be used to better define the prevalence of the dysfunction, and summarizes means for mitigating such alterations.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed2001

Perceptual ratings for pureed and molded peaches for individuals with and without impaired swallowing.

Food molds have been created to alter the appearance of pureed foods by making the pureed consistencies look more like typically prepared foods. This study examined the perceptions of 15 adults with impaired swallowing and 15 adults with nonimpaired swallowing for three different types of pureed peach: a typically prepared pureed peach, a pureed peach with a thickening agent added, and a pureed peach with a thickening agent added and molded to look like peach slices. Results are presented for the attribute ratings of overall liking: liking of taste, texture, and appearance; and ease of chewing and swallowing. The results showed that the adults with impaired swallowing rated the attributes of chewing and swallowing significantly lower (i.e.. more difficult) for each type of puree. Significant differences within samples also were found for the attributes of overall liking and liking of taste. Overall, the pureed peach molds were not perceived favorably for any of the examined attributes. In addition, the molded peach was rated lower (more difficult) in its ease of chewing. The implications of these findings and ideas for further research are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Mere exposure to telereceptive cues facilitates intake of a novel flavor in chickens (Gallus domesticus).

This experiment investigated whether mere exposure to visual cues of a distinctively colored solution (water) would facilitate intake of a novel flavor (vinegar) of the same distinctive color. Eighty-four chicks received access to clear water, clear vinegar, red water, or red vinegar under conditions which permitted drinking or they received access to clear water or red water under conditions (mere exposure) which prevented drinking. All chicks were then tested on intake of red vinegar. Chicks which had received mere exposure or ingestional experience with red-colored water drank reliably more red vinegar than did chicks which had received prior ingestional experience with the novel taste, vinegar, but not with the visual cues of red. However, intake of red vinegar was reliably greater following ingestional experience with red water than following visual exposure without ingestion. Results supported the mere exposure hypothesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2007

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) perception in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree family members: relationship to clinical symptomatology and psychophysical olfactory performance.

The inability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC; "taste-blindness") has been associated with a number of medical and neurological illnesses not typically related to taste. We examined PTC sensitivity in 67 schizophrenia patients, 30 healthy controls, and 30 first-degree relatives to determine whether taster status could represent a simple vulnerability marker. A higher prevalence of non-tasters was seen in patients and family members relative to healthy controls. Among patients, non-tasters exhibited increased levels of negative and first-rank symptoms as well as poorer right nostril odor identification skills relative to PTC tasters. These differences were not explained by age, sex, education, smoking, or intensity differences. Phenotypic variation in PTC sensitivity is thought to be genetic in origin and suggests greater illness risk for those subjects with recessive taster alleles.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Factors affecting the perception of naturalness and flavor strength in citrus drinks.

In two profiling experiments and one grouping experiment, panelists evaluated orange drinks in order to measure the effects of design variables, especially color, on basic tastes as well as on more consumer-like attributes such as flavor strength and naturalness. Naturalness was increased in one experiment by lowering degrees Brix or increasing quinine HCl. Low sweet-sour ratios were generally perceived as more natural. Pectin had no effect on naturalness. Flavor strength was increased consistently by augmenting levels of quinine HCl, sucrose, citric acid or degrees Brix. Addition of Cochineal Red increased sweetness and flavor strength but decreased the perception of naturalness for the aromas studied.

Dietary Supplements↗
PubMed2004

Sour taste preferences of children relate to preference for novel and intense stimuli.

Previous research has suggested that some children have a preference for sour tastes. The origin of this preference remains unclear. We investigated whether preference for sour tastes is related to a difference in rated sour intensity due to physiological properties of saliva, or to an overall preference for intense and new stimuli. Eighty-nine children 7-12 years old carried out a rank-order procedure for preference and category scale for perceived intensity for four gelatins (i.e. 0.0 M, 0.02 M, 0.08 M, 0.25 M added citric acid) and four yellow cards that differed in brightness. In addition, we measured their willingness to try a novel candy and their flow and buffering capacity of their saliva. Fifty-eight percent of the children tested preferred one of the two most sour gelatins. These children had a higher preference for the brightest color (P < 0.05) and were more likely to try the candy with the unknown flavor (P < 0.001) than children who did not prefer the most sour gelatins. Preference for sour taste was not related with differences in rated sour intensity, however those who preferred sour taste had a higher salivary flow (P < 0.05). These findings show that a substantial proportion of young children have a preference for extreme sour taste. This appears to be related to the willingness to try unknown foods and preference for intense visual stimuli. Further research is needed to investigate how these findings can be implemented in the promotion of sour-tasting food such as fruit.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Olfactory cues mediate food selection by young chicks.

An illness-induced aversion paradigm was used to assess the possible influence of olfactory cues on food selection by young chicks. At 2-3 days posthatching, chicks were exposed briefly to food scented with a novel odor (orange) followed by an injection of LiCl or saline. LiCl-injected chicks subsequently displayed stronger avoidance of orange-scented food than did the controls. Chicks in a second experiment were preexposed to novel-scented food, then either injected with LiCl or not injected. The LiCl chicks, but not the controls, later avoided food associated with the preexposure odor (relative to food treated with an unfamiliar odorant). Two- to three-day-old chicks are capable of associating specific food odors with negative consequences and modify their feeding behavior as a function of such experience.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Hedonic ratings and perceived healthiness in experimental functional food choices.

The associations of liking and perceived healthiness ratings between repeated food choices were studied in two experiments. Participants' snack bar (n=41, Experiment I) and beverage (n=60, Experiment II) choices among six product alternatives were monitored for 4 and 3 weeks, respectively. In Experiment I, participants were allowed to familiarise themselves with snack bar alternatives ("familiar assortment") prior to making choices. In Experiment II, the participants started making their beverage choices without familiarising themselves ("unfamiliar assortment"). In both experiments, the participants were divided into three groups according to their choice behaviour for each alternative: non-interested (0 choices), experimenters (1 choice) and potential frequent users (2 or more choices). In Experiment I, the overall difference between non-interested and potential frequent users of a product was 1.3 points in expected liking and 2.6 points in actual liking on a 7-point scale (ANOVA, p<0.001). In Experiment II, the overall differences in blind hedonic ratings between non-interested participants and potential frequent users of a product were within a range of 0.9 points (p<0.001). The difference was wider for expected liking ratings, 1.3 points (p<0.001). Neither the perceived healthiness of the samples nor the background attitudes could be consistently associated with the choices (Pearson's correlation coefficient).

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Alkylamides that produce tingling paresthesia activate tactile and thermal trigeminal neurons.

Alkylamides isolated from the fruit of Xanthoxylum, Szechuan pepper, produce a strong tingling sensation in the mouth. In order to determine the peripheral basis of this sensation, extracellular nerve recordings were obtained from the lingual nerve of rats. The primary pungent compound, hydroxy-alpha-sanshool (HO-alpha-S), altered the levels of spontaneous activity in cool-sensitive fibers as well as inducing activity in tactile fibers, cold nociceptors and silent fibers that were insensitive to innocuous thermal or tactile stimuli. Moreover, tactile or thermal sensitivity was induced in fibers that were initially insensitive to touch or cooling. The neuronal distribution of sensitivities to capsaicin and to HO-alpha-S indicate that this compound affects neurons mediating innocuous sensations. HO-alpha-S may be useful as a model stimulus for studies of paresthesia.

Alkanes↗
PubMed1992

Learning in honeybees (Apis mellifera) as a function of sucrose concentration.

Foraging honeybees (Apis mellifera) were trained with 2 successively presented targets differing in color or odor, one of which always contained a 5-microliters drop of 50% sucrose solution and the other, a 5-microliters drop of 20% sucrose solution. Latency of response to each target was measured during the training, and at the conclusion, preference was measured in an unrewarded choice test. Analysis of the latencies showed both a prospective effect (faster response to the 50% target than to the 20% target) and a nonassociative retrospective effect (faster response after leaving the 20% target than after leaving the 50% target) reminiscent of the frustration effect in rats. The results both for prospective latency and for choice can be understood on the simple theory that the attractiveness of a target depends on the strength of its association with sucrose and that the effect of concentration is on asymptotic strength.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Switching between tasks and responses: a developmental study.

Task switching requires the ability to flexibly switch between task rules and responses, and is sensitive to developmental change. We tested the hypothesis that developmental changes in task switch performance are associated with changes in the facilitating or interfering effect of the previously retrieved stimulus-response (S-R) association. Three age groups (7-8-year-olds, 10-12-year-olds and 20-25-year-olds) performed a two-choice reaction time (RT) task in which spatially compatible or incompatible responses were required. The RT costs associated with switching between tasks were larger when responses were repeated than when responses were alternated. Younger children showed a greater cost than adults when switching between tasks but repeating responses. This age difference decreased when the interval between the previous response and the upcoming stimulus increased. Switch costs were larger when switching to the compatible task than to the incompatible task, but this effect did not differ between age groups. These findings suggest that young children build up stronger transient associations between task sets and response sets, which interfere with their ability to switch to currently intended actions. A similar pattern has previously been observed for older adults (Mayr, 2001), suggesting a common contributor to task switching deficits across the life span.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hyposalivatory drug use, whole stimulated salivary flow, and mouth dryness in older, long-term care residents.

Drug-induced hyposalivation has only been anecdotally related to various subjective and objective oral problems. The study described here of 157 residents of a long-term care facility reports data on whole masticatory-stimulated salivary flow rates, use of medications, and perceptions of symptoms associated with hyposalivation, including mouth and eye dryness, tooth sensitivity, chewing satisfaction, and taste and smell acuity. One hundred and twelve residents (71%) were taking one or more drugs that induced hyposalivation. Salivary flow rates were lower in persons who were taking such drugs, and lowest in persons who were taking such drugs for a protracted period. Flow was also lower in females than males, and lower in persons institutionalized for long periods than in persons institutionalized for short periods. Persons who were taking drugs that induce hyposalivation were institutionalized longer, used more medications, had more health problems, were dissatisfied with chewing, and had fewer teeth than persons who were not taking such drugs. Persons who reported having mouth dryness also reported eye dryness and were dissatisfied with their chewing ability. Perceived mouth dryness was not related to salivary flow.

Aged↗