Human taste is an important function of chemical perception. In recent years, brain taste evoked potentials have received more and more attention as a feasible tool for objective assessment of taste dysfunction. This paper reviews the main characteristics of gustatory evoked potential signals, the most widely used recording and processing techniques, and the scientific advances and relevance of gustatory evoked potentials in many important applications. In particular, taste evoked potentials are used to study the central effects of food intake and taste disorders, which may affect cognition and personality, or may be potential indicators of the onset or progression of neurological disorders. For these reasons, this paper presents and analyzes the latest scientific results and future challenges of using gustatory evoked potentials as an attractive solution to objective monitoring techniques for taste disorders. Human taste is an important function of chemical perception. In recent years, brain gustatory evoked potentials have received more and more attention as a feasible tool for objective assessment of taste dysfunction. This paper reviews the main characteristics of gustatory evoked potential signals, the most widely used recording and processing techniques, and the scientific advances and relevance of gustatory evoked potentials in many important applications. In particular, gustatory evoked potentials are used to study the central effects of food intake and taste disorders, which may affect cognition and personality, or may be potential indicators of the onset or progression of neurological disorders. For these reasons, this paper presents and analyzes the latest scientific results and future challenges of using gustatory evoked potentials as an attractive solution to objective monitoring techniques for taste disorders.
Humans ; Evoked Potentials ; Taste/physiology* ; Taste Perception/physiology*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Taste perception is influenced by both nutritional factors and psychological factors. This study was undertaken to measure the 4 basic taste perceptions, nutrient intake, and mental health, and to examine the factors that affect insensitive taste perception in young Japanese women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Young women in their late teens and twenties were enrolled as subjects. Taste perception was measured by applying the filter-paper disc method over areas of the chorda tympani nerve. Nutritional status was evaluated using brief, self-administered diet history questionnaires. The index of nutritional status was based on the 2015 Japanese dietary reference intakes. Mental health was assessed using the Japanese translation of the Profile of Mood States short version. This study was approved by the ethical committee at Osaka University. RESULTS: The normal taste perception group (four basic tastes [sweet, salty, sour, and bitter] identified as normal taste perception) comprised 55.4% of the subjects, while the abnormal taste perception group (more than 1 abnormal taste perception was perceived, regardless of flavor) comprised 44.6% of the subjects. There were no significant differences in nutrient intake (except manganese) and mental health between the normal and abnormal taste perception groups. Subjects who took 5 mg to less than 7.1 mg zinc per day were at significantly decreased risk of insensitive taste perception compared to subjects who consumed less than 5 mg zinc per day [Regression coefficient 0.831, 95% confidence interval 0.694–0.996]. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that insensitive taste perception could be associated with zinc deficiency in young women in their late teens and twenties.
Adolescent ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chorda Tympani Nerve ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Methods ; Nutritional Status ; Psychology ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Taste Perception ; Zinc

Taste is closely related to intake of food. Taste perception is also influenced by type of food ingested, and nutrition and health status. Bitter taste plays an important role in the survival of human and animals to avoid probable toxic and harmful substances. Vertebrate animals recognize bitter taste through type 2 taste receptors (T2Rs). Several T2Rs have been expressed extra-oral such as the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, brain and immune cells, and parts of their functions are being revealed. This review will discuss physiological roles of T2Rs in relation to innate immunity, secretion and smooth muscle contraction expressed in extra-oral cells and tissues, and we summarize relationships between polymorphisms in T2Rs and general or oral diseases. It is not a coincidence that animals pay much genetic costs for taste and smell during evolution.
Animals ; Brain ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Muscle, Smooth ; Respiratory System ; Smell ; Taste Perception ; Vertebrates

Mammals have 3 pairs of major salivary glands i.e., the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Saliva secretion of these glands is modulated by taste perception. Salivary glands are composed mainly of acinar and ductal cells. Primary saliva is secreted by acinar cells and modified during ductal flow. Recently, of the murine 35 bitter taste receptors, Tas2r108 was expressed at highest levels in the submandibular gland by qPCR. Further, Tas2r108-transfected cells respond to a range of bitter compounds, such as denatonium, quinine, colchicine, diphenidol, caffeine and dapson. The objective of the present study was to characterize the expression of Tas2r108 mRNA in acinar and/or ductal cells of the submandibular gland using in situ hybridization (ISH). Male 42-60 days old DBA2 mice were used in the study. Messenger RNAs were extracted from the submandibular gland for generating digoxigenin (DIG) labeled-cRNA probes. These probes were transcribed in anti-sense and sense orientation using T7 RNA polymerase. Dot blot hybridization was performed using DIG labeled-cRNA probes, in order to estimate integrity and optimal diluting concentration of these probes. Subsequently, ISH was performed on murine submandibular gland to detect Tas2r108 mRNA. Dot blot hybridization data demonstrated that Tas2r108 DIG labeled-cRNA anti-sense probes specifically detected Tas2r108 cDNA. ISH results showed that the anti-sense probes labeled acinar and ductal cells in the submandibular gland, whereas no staining was visible in sense controls. Interestingly, the Tas2r108 expression levels were higher in acinar than ductal cells. These results suggested that Tas2r108 might be more associated with primary saliva secretion than with ductal modification of saliva composition.
Acinar Cells ; Animals ; Antisense Elements (Genetics) ; Caffeine ; Colchicine ; Digoxigenin ; DNA, Complementary ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Male ; Mammals ; Mice ; Quinine ; RNA, Messenger ; Saliva ; Salivary Glands ; Sublingual Gland ; Submandibular Gland* ; Taste Perception

Excessive dietary salt intake is related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although dietary salt restriction is essential, it is difficult to achieve because of salt palatability. However, the association between salt perception or salt eating habit and actual salt intake remains uncertain. In this study, we recruited 74 healthy young individuals. We investigated their salt-eating habits by questionnaire and salt taste threshold through a rating scale that used serial dilution of a sodium chloride solution. Predicted 24-hr urinary salt excretions using Kawasaki's and Tanaka's equations estimated dietary salt intake. Participants' mean age was 35 yr, and 59.5% were male. Salt sense threshold did not show any relationship with actual salt intake and a salt-eating habit. However, those eating "salty" foods showed higher blood pressure (P for trend=0.048) and higher body mass index (BMI; P for trend=0.043). Moreover, a salty eating habit was a significant predictor for actual salt intake (regression coefficient [beta] for Kawasaki's equation 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10-2.69, P=0.048; beta for Tanaka's equation 0.66, 95% CI 0.01-1.31, P=0.047). In conclusion, a self-reported salt-eating habit, not salt taste threshold predicts actual salt intake.
Adult ; Algorithms ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Demography ; Female ; Habits ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Questionnaires ; Self Report ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary/*urine ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Urine Specimen Collection

OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition is common among cancer patients. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status of preoperative cancer patients upon admission at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines. It also aimed to identify common symptoms with adverse impact on nutrition and to correlate the nutritional status to the length of hospital stay and development of post-operative complications.

METHODS: A hospital-based prospective cohort study design was conducted among pre-operative adult cancer patients admitted from September to December 2010. Nutritional status assessment was done using the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) tool and correlation to their symptoms, length of hospital stay, and post-operative complications were determined using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-Square tests.

RESULT: A total of 103 patients were included for the study amongst whom prevalence of malnutrition was 83%. Symptoms that were significantly associated with severity of malnutrition were early satiety, lack of appetite and alteration in taste perception. Poor nutritional status was associated with increased mean length of hospital stay: 7.5, 14.1 and 15.1 days for well-nourished, moderately malnourished and severely malnourished, respectively (p=0.048).

CONCLUSION: Using the Scored PG-SGA tool, this study observed a correlation between severity of nutritional status and increased length of hospital stay among cancer patients. Presence of nutritional impact symptoms such as lack of appetite, early satiety, and alteration of taste perception correlated with the degree of malnutrition on admission.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Formal objective assessment of the nutritional status of cancer patients should be done. Addressing the symptoms of lack of appetite, early satiety, and alteration of taste perception should be prioritized to prevent deterioration in nutrition.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Nutritional Status ; Appetite ; Taste Perception ; Nutrition Assessment ; Hospitalization ; Postoperative Care ; Protein-energy Malnutrition ; Neoplasms

This study examined salty taste acuity and salty taste preference and sodium intake in relation to zinc nutritional status in 2 rural populations in Korea. And we also examined the main food contributors of their sodium intakes. We enrolled 218 adults (66 men and 152 women) from the Kangneung and Samcheok regions in Korea's Kangwon province in our study conducted from December 2011 to February 2012. Participants from each region were divided into 3 groups based on their serum zinc level (T1: lowest, T2: intermediate, T3: highest). We compared the salty taste acuity and preference, Na index (Dish Frequency Questionnaire for estimation of habitual sodium intake), blood pressure, and intakes of nutrients including sodium by 3 groups of serum zinc level. The results were as follows: a higher serum zinc level indicated a lower sodium intake and Na index (P < 0.05). The salty taste acuity was considerably higher for participants from the Kangneung region than those from the Samcheok region (P < 0.05). And the serum zinc level was significantly higher in participants from the Kangneung region than those from the Samcheok region (P < 0.05). We further divided the participants into 2 groups: those who consumed more zinc than the recommended intake (RI) and the others. We compared salty taste acuity and salty taste preference in the 2 groups. The salty taste threshold and palatable salty taste concentrations were lower for the group with a zinc intake above RI than for the group with zinc intake below the RI. However, the difference was not significant. This study confirms that taste function differs depending on zinc nutritional status. In future, it is required to a large-scale, long-term, prospective study on the correlation between zinc intake, serum zinc levels, and taste perception function and blood pressure.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rural Population ; Sodium ; Taste Perception ; Taste Threshold ; Zinc

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between taste perceptions and risk factors for health of Korean elderly living in rural areas. Recognition thresholds for four basic tastes, drug consumption, BMI, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were assessed in 176 males and 312 females aged between 50 and 88 years. For the recognition threshold of the four basic tastes, alcohol drinking did not influence their sensitivities, but the alcohol drinking group preferred a higher pleasant concentration of NaCl than did the non-alcohol drinking group. However, smoking significantly decreased sensitivities of the four basic tastes. For the pleasant concentration of NaCl, the smoking group tended to prefer a higher concentration than the non-smoking group. Drug consumption, fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, and serum triglycerides did not have a significant correlation to the sensitivity of the four basic tastes and preference of salty solution. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure may have been positively correlated with the pleasant concentration of NaCl but did not correlate with the recognition thresholds of NaCl and sucrose. Further, systolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine, whereas diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with the recognition thresholds of caffeine and citric acid. The finding that the risk factors for health correlated with taste perception has diagnostic and practical implications for health promotion for the elderly.
Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Caffeine ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Drinking ; Fasting ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sucrose ; Taste Perception ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVETo examine the role of glutaminergic neurons in the transmission and integration of the sweat taste information in the brain stem and the amygdala.

METHODSConscious Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to oral sweet taste or water (control) stimulations. The activated neurons were identified by detecting c-Fos expression in taste-related brain areas, and the glutaminergic neurons by detecting vesicular glutamate transpoter-3 (VGLUT3).

RESULTSCompared with control group, the rats with oral sucrose solution stimulation exhibited significantly increased c-Fos-expressing and double-labeled neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST), the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and the amygdala.

CONCLUSIONNeurons in the NST, PBN and amygdala are activated after oral sweet taste stimulation. The sweet taste perception at different levels in the CNS is partly mediated by glutamate.

Amygdala ; physiology ; Animals ; Brain Stem ; physiology ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; physiology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Solitary Nucleus ; cytology ; physiology ; Sucrose ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Taste Perception ; physiology ; Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins ; metabolism

RATIONALE: In the Philippines, 25% of children < 10 years old are underweight. The use of energy-dense ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) augments caloric intake. No local studies have evaluated RUTF.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy, safety and acceptability of a modified RUTF (mRUTF) to supplement caloric intake.

METHOD: One hundred (100) children 18 months to 10 years old with mild to moderate malnutrition were randomized to either mRUTF or control group. The treatment arm received mRUTF during weekdays for 5 weeks while controls had no supplementation. Anthropometric measurements were taken at baseline, weekly for 5 weeks and 2 weeks post-supplementation.

RESULTS: The two groups were comparable at baseline. At five weekly intervals, there was no significant difference in weight, height and mid upper arm circumference between groups, although the mean percentage weight gain of the mRUTF group was higher compared with controls (8% vs 2.6%, p=0.15). Cessation of supplementation resulted in weight loss in the mRUTF group. [mRUTF: -0.40 (0.33) vs -0.03 (0.35), p=0.00]. The taste of mRUTF was acceptable.

CONCLUSION: Ready-to-use-therapeutic food is an effective, safe and acceptable alternative supplement for children, 18 months to 10 years old, with mild to moderate malnutrition.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child Preschool ; Infant ; Thinness ; Philippines ; Weight Gain ; Taste ; Arm ; Weight Loss ; Energy Intake ; Dietary Supplements ; Taste Perception ; Malnutrition