Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status
Taste buds containing receptor cells that primarily detect one taste quality provide the basis for discrimination across taste qualities. The molecular receptor multiplicity and the interactions occurring between bud cells encode information about the chemical identity, nutritional value, and potent...
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/2017 |
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| author | Melania Melis Giorgia Sollai Mariano Mastinu Danilo Pani Piero Cosseddu Annalisa Bonfiglio Roberto Crnjar Beverly J. Tepper Iole Tomassini Barbarossa |
| author_facet | Melania Melis Giorgia Sollai Mariano Mastinu Danilo Pani Piero Cosseddu Annalisa Bonfiglio Roberto Crnjar Beverly J. Tepper Iole Tomassini Barbarossa |
| author_sort | Melania Melis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Taste buds containing receptor cells that primarily detect one taste quality provide the basis for discrimination across taste qualities. The molecular receptor multiplicity and the interactions occurring between bud cells encode information about the chemical identity, nutritional value, and potential toxicity of stimuli before transmitting signals to the hindbrain. PROP (6-<i>n</i>-propylthiouracil) tasting is widely considered a marker for individual variations of taste perception, dietary preferences, and health. However, controversial data have been reported. We present measures of the peripheral gustatory system activation in response to taste qualities by electrophysiological recordings from the tongue of 39 subjects classified for PROP taster status. The waveform of the potential variation evoked depended on the taste quality of the stimulus. Direct relationships between PROP sensitivity and electrophysiological responses to taste qualities were found. The largest and fastest responses were recorded in PROP super-tasters, who had the highest papilla density, whilst smaller and slower responses were found in medium tasters and non-tasters with lower papilla densities. The intensities perceived by subjects of the three taster groups correspond to their electrophysiological responses for all stimuli except NaCl. Our results show that each taste quality can generate its own electrophysiological fingerprint on the tongue and provide direct evidence of the relationship between general taste perception and PROP phenotype. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:38:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f36726b9822c4bd6aab5531d688efd8e |
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| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:38:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
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| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-f36726b9822c4bd6aab5531d688efd8e2023-11-20T06:05:28ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-07-01127201710.3390/nu12072017Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster StatusMelania Melis0Giorgia Sollai1Mariano Mastinu2Danilo Pani3Piero Cosseddu4Annalisa Bonfiglio5Roberto Crnjar6Beverly J. Tepper7Iole Tomassini Barbarossa8Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, ItalyDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Piazza d’Armi, I 09123 Cagliari, CA, ItalyDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Piazza d’Armi, I 09123 Cagliari, CA, ItalyDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Piazza d’Armi, I 09123 Cagliari, CA, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, ItalyDepartment of Food Science, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USADepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, CA, ItalyTaste buds containing receptor cells that primarily detect one taste quality provide the basis for discrimination across taste qualities. The molecular receptor multiplicity and the interactions occurring between bud cells encode information about the chemical identity, nutritional value, and potential toxicity of stimuli before transmitting signals to the hindbrain. PROP (6-<i>n</i>-propylthiouracil) tasting is widely considered a marker for individual variations of taste perception, dietary preferences, and health. However, controversial data have been reported. We present measures of the peripheral gustatory system activation in response to taste qualities by electrophysiological recordings from the tongue of 39 subjects classified for PROP taster status. The waveform of the potential variation evoked depended on the taste quality of the stimulus. Direct relationships between PROP sensitivity and electrophysiological responses to taste qualities were found. The largest and fastest responses were recorded in PROP super-tasters, who had the highest papilla density, whilst smaller and slower responses were found in medium tasters and non-tasters with lower papilla densities. The intensities perceived by subjects of the three taster groups correspond to their electrophysiological responses for all stimuli except NaCl. Our results show that each taste quality can generate its own electrophysiological fingerprint on the tongue and provide direct evidence of the relationship between general taste perception and PROP phenotype.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/2017electrophysiological recording from human tonguesix taste qualitiesPROP phenotype |
| spellingShingle | Melania Melis Giorgia Sollai Mariano Mastinu Danilo Pani Piero Cosseddu Annalisa Bonfiglio Roberto Crnjar Beverly J. Tepper Iole Tomassini Barbarossa Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status Nutrients electrophysiological recording from human tongue six taste qualities PROP phenotype |
| title | Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status |
| title_full | Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status |
| title_fullStr | Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status |
| title_short | Electrophysiological Responses from the Human Tongue to the Six Taste Qualities and Their Relationships with PROP Taster Status |
| title_sort | electrophysiological responses from the human tongue to the six taste qualities and their relationships with prop taster status |
| topic | electrophysiological recording from human tongue six taste qualities PROP phenotype |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/2017 |
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