Taste detection threshold of human (Homo sapiens) subjects and taste preference threshold of black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) for the sugar substitute isomalt

Abstract The artificial sweetener isomalt is widely used due to its low caloric, non-diabetogenic and non-cariogenic properties. Although the sweetening potency of isomalt has been reported to be lower than that of sucrose, no data on the sensitivity of humans for this polyol are available. Using an up-down, two-alternative forced choice staircase procedure we therefore determined taste detection thresholds for isomalt in human subjects (n = 10; five females and five males) and compared them to taste preference thresholds, determined using a two-bottle preference test of short duration, in a highly frugivorous nonhuman primate, the spider monkey (n = 4; one female, three males). We found that both species detected concentrations of isomalt as low as 20 mM. Both humans and spider monkeys are less sensitive to isomalt than to sucrose, which is consistent with the notion of the former being a low-potency sweetener. The spider monkeys clearly preferred all suprathreshold concentrations tested over water, suggesting that, similar to humans, they perceive isomalt as having a purely sweet taste that is indistinguishable from that of sucrose. As isomalt, like most sweet-tasting polyols, may elicit gastric distress when consumed in large quantities, the present findings may contribute to the choice of appropriate amounts and concentrations of this sweetener when it is employed as a sugar substitute or food additive for human consumption. Similarly, the taste preference threshold values of spider monkeys for isomalt reported here may be useful for determining how much of it should be used when it is employed as a low-caloric sweetener for frugivorous primates kept on a vegetable-based diet, or when medication needs to be administered orally.

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Taste Responsiveness of Spider Monkeys to Dietary Ethanol

Chemical Senses ◽

10.1093/chemse/bjz049 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (8) ◽

pp. 631-638 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniel Dausch Ibañez ◽

Laura Teresa Hernandez Salazar ◽

Matthias Laska

Keyword(s):

Short Duration ◽

Sucrose Solution ◽

Preference Test ◽

Taste Preference ◽

Ateles Geoffroyi ◽

Spider Monkeys ◽

Taste Preferences ◽

Additional Source ◽

Ethanol Mixture ◽

Sucrose Solutions

Abstract Recent studies suggest that frugivorous primates might display a preference for the ethanol produced by microbia in overripe, fermenting fruit as an additional source of calories. We, therefore, assessed the taste responsiveness of 8 spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) to the range of ethanol concentrations found in overripe, fermenting fruit (0.05–3.0%) and determined taste preference thresholds as well as relative taste preferences for ethanol presented in sucrose solutions and in fruit matrices, respectively. Using a 2-bottle preference test of short duration (1 min), we found that spider monkeys are able to detect ethanol concentrations as low as 0.5%, that they prefer ethanol concentrations up to 3% over water, and that they prefer sucrose solutions and pureed fruit spiked with ethanol over equimolar sucrose solutions and pureed fruit without ethanol. However, when presented with an ethanol-spiked sucrose solution and a higher-concentrated sucrose solution without ethanol, the animals clearly preferred the latter, even when the sucrose–ethanol mixture contained 3 times more calories. These results demonstrate that spider monkeys are more sensitive to the taste of ethanol than rats and humans and that they prefer ecologically relevant suprathreshold concentrations of ethanol over water. Tests with sucrose solutions and pureed fruits that were either spiked with ethanol or not suggest that sweetness may be more important for the preferences displayed by the spider monkeys than the calories provided by ethanol. The present results, therefore, do not support the notion that dietary ethanol might be used by frugivorous primates as a supplemental source of calories.

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Relationship between Sucrose Taste Detection Thresholds and Preferences in Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12071918 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1918 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara Petty ◽

Clara Salame ◽

Julie A. Mennella ◽

Marta Yanina Pepino

Keyword(s):

Sucrose Concentration ◽

Detection Threshold ◽

Sweet Taste ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Taste Preferences ◽

Age Group ◽

Detection Thresholds ◽

Age Related ◽

Taste Detection ◽

Age Related Changes

To address gaps in knowledge, our objectives were to (1) to determine whether there are age-related changes in sweet taste detection thresholds, as has been observed for sweet taste preferences, and (2) determine whether detection thresholds and taste preferences were significantly related to each other from childhood to adulthood. We combined data from studies that used the same validated psychophysical techniques to measure sucrose taste detection threshold and the most preferred sucrose concentration in children (n = 108), adolescents (n = 172), and adults (n = 205). There were significant effects of age group on both sucrose detection thresholds (p < 0.001) and most preferred sucrose concentration (p < 0.001). While children had higher sucrose detection thresholds than adolescents, who in turn tended to have higher detection thresholds than adults, both children and adolescent most preferred sucrose concentrations were higher than that of adults (all p < 0.05). Among each age group, and when combined, the lowest sucrose concentration detected was not significantly correlated with the most preferred sucrose concentration (all p > 0.18). These data provide further evidence that age-related changes in sucrose taste preferences that occur during adolescence cannot be explained by changes in taste sensitivity and that these two dimensions of sweet taste undergo distinct developmental trajectories from childhood to adulthood.

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Enhanced gustatory neural responses to sugars in the diabetic db/db mouse

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.1995.269.4.r930 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 269 (4) ◽

pp. R930-R937 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Y. Ninomiya ◽

N. Sako ◽

Y. Imai

Keyword(s):

Genetic Model ◽

Major Gene ◽

Common Factor ◽

Preference Test ◽

Taste Preference ◽

Sweet Taste ◽

Chorda Tympani ◽

Chorda Tympani Nerve ◽

Neural Responses ◽

Behavioral Experiments

Sweet taste sensitivity in a genetic model of diabetes, the db/db mouse, in which a single major gene defect leads to the expression of diabetes and obesity, was studied by examining chorda tympani nerve responses to various taste stimuli, including sugars. The chorda tympani responses to four sugars, sucrose, fructose, glucose, and maltose, in adult db/db mice showed greater relative magnitudes and lower thresholds than those in adult lean mice, but responses to other basic taste stimuli, such as NaCl, HCl, and quinine HCl, were not different in the two groups. Behavioral experiments using a two-bottle preference test demonstrated that taste preference scores for the four sugars at suprathreshold concentrations, except 1.0 M, were higher in db/db than in control mice. Infant mice of 7-9 days of age possessing the genotype db/db also exhibited greater neural responses and lower thresholds for sugars than infant control mice, whereas streptozotocin-induced adult diabetic mice possessing the genotype +/+ did not exhibit larger sugar responses. These findings suggest that the enhanced sugar sensitivities observed in db/db mice are probably determined by a single major gene, db. The db gene may act on a common factor(s) involved in the stimulus-secretion coupling in the pancreatic B cell and the taste cell of db/db mice.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of FGF21 mediates endocrine control of simple sugar intake and sweet taste preference by the liver.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.726054651.793514519 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Bruno Stieger

Keyword(s):

Taste Preference ◽

Sweet Taste ◽

Endocrine Control ◽

Sugar Intake ◽

Simple Sugar

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Effect of the artificial sweetener, sucralose, on gastric emptying and incretin hormone release in healthy subjects

AJP Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpgi.90708.2008 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 296 (4) ◽

pp. G735-G739 ◽

Cited By ~ 155

Author(s):

Jing Ma ◽

Max Bellon ◽

Judith M. Wishart ◽

Richard Young ◽

L. Ashley Blackshaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Glucose ◽

Gastric Emptying ◽

Normal Saline ◽

Sweet Taste ◽

Artificial Sweetener ◽

Healthy Humans ◽

Sweet Taste Receptors ◽

Glucagon Like Peptide 1 ◽

Gip Release ◽

Glucose Plasma

The incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), play an important role in glucose homeostasis in both health and diabetes. In mice, sucralose, an artificial sweetener, stimulates GLP-1 release via sweet taste receptors on enteroendocrine cells. We studied blood glucose, plasma levels of insulin, GLP-1, and GIP, and gastric emptying (by a breath test) in 7 healthy humans after intragastric infusions of 1) 50 g sucrose in water to a total volume of 500 ml (∼290 mosmol/l), 2) 80 mg sucralose in 500 ml normal saline (∼300 mosmol/l, 0.4 mM sucralose), 3) 800 mg sucralose in 500 ml normal saline (∼300 mosmol/l, 4 mM sucralose), and 4) 500 ml normal saline (∼300 mosmol/l), all labeled with 150 mg 13C-acetate. Blood glucose increased only in response to sucrose ( P < 0.05). GLP-1, GIP, and insulin also increased after sucrose ( P = 0.0001) but not after either load of sucralose or saline. Gastric emptying of sucrose was slower than that of saline ( t50: 87.4 ± 4.1 min vs. 74.7 ± 3.2 min, P < 0.005), whereas there were no differences in t50 between sucralose 0.4 mM (73.7 ± 3.1 min) or 4 mM (76.7 ± 3.1 min) and saline. We conclude that sucralose, delivered by intragastric infusion, does not stimulate insulin, GLP-1, or GIP release or slow gastric emptying in healthy humans.

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Obtaining Extruded Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd) Flavor to Vanilla, Chocolate, Passion Fruit and His Industrial Process

ESPOCH Congresses: The Ecuadorian Journal of S.T.E.A.M. ◽

10.18502/espoch.v1i3.9536 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Diego Villa Valdivieso ◽

Mabel Parada Rivera ◽

Marlene García Veloz

Keyword(s):

Chenopodium Quinoa ◽

Industrial Process ◽

Preference Test ◽

Passion Fruit ◽

Raw Material ◽

Industrial Processes ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Daily Production ◽

Palabras Clave

The main objective of this work was to design the industrial process for the elaboration of quinoa extruded (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) of vanilla, chocolate and passion fruit flavors. The first step was the physical, bromatological and microbiological characterization of the raw material according to the ‘NTE INEN 1673 (2013): Quinoa Requirements’. Next, both the laboratory and industrial processes were performed, in which the unitary operations suitable for precise design were determined, including extrusion, evaporation, mixing and drying. Simultaneously, data of the necessary processes were taken (humidity, temperature and time) which facilitated all engineering calculations essential to generate a daily production using 17 kg of natural quinoa extrude to obtain 22,702 kg of vanilla, 23,491 kg of chocolate or 24,137 kg of passion fruit values that were determined by mass balances. With these processed samples, a sensory evaluation was conducted using a preference test in which the vanilla flavor obtained a 63.03% acceptability, followed by passion fruit with 20.72%, and finally chocolate with 16.22%. Once it was completed, the design was validated through the ‘NTE INEN 2570 (2011): grain, cereal and seed snacks. Requirements’, recording values within the limits recommended by the norm. Thus, the product is suitable for human consumption. Keywords: Humidity, Extrusion, Mass balance, food safety, Statgraphycs (software). Resumen El presente trabajo tuvo por principal objetivo diseñar el proceso industrial para la elaboración de extruido de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) sabor a vainilla, chocolate y maracuyá, donde para cumplirlo se inició con la caracterización física, bromatológica y microbiológica de la materia prima acorde a la ‘NTE INEN 1673 (2013): Quinua. Requisitos.’, seguido a esto se desarrolló el proceso tanto a nivel de laboratorio como industrial en donde se determinaron las operaciones unitarias idóneas para un diseño preciso entre las que constan la extrusión, la evaporación, el mezclado y el secado, a la vez se tomaron los datos necesarios de las variables del proceso (humedad, temperatura y tiempo) que ayudarían a realizar todos los cálculos de ingeniería indispensables para generar una producción diaria que utiliza 17 kg de extruido de quinua natural para obtener 22,702 kg de vainilla, 23,491 de chocolate o 24,137 kg de maracuyá, valores que fueron determinados mediante balances de masa. Con las muestras elaboradas se procedió a realizar una ficha de evaluación sensorial utilizando una prueba de preferencia en la que el sabor de vainilla tuvo un 63,03% de aceptabilidad, seguido del de maracuyá con un 20,72% y por último el de chocolate con un 16,22%. Una vez se culminó el diseño se realizó su validación a través de la ‘NTE INEN 2570 (2011): Bocaditos de granos, cereales y semillas. Requisitos.’, registrando valores dentro de los límites recomendados por dicha norma, por lo tanto el producto es apto para el consumo humano. Palabras Clave: Humedad, Extrusión, Balance de masa, Seguridad alimentaria Statgraphycs (software).

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